


The Legend of Hyrule Hearts- Part 1: Rising Heroes

by rawkhawk64



Series: The Legend of Hyrule Hearts [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts, Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2013-04-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 05:18:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 23,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/670700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rawkhawk64/pseuds/rawkhawk64
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Link and Sora save the worlds... together? After Destiny Islands are destroyed, Sora wakes up in the Kokiri Forest at the start of Link's journey. The two will travel through the worlds, saving them together. First part of a multi-part story. Follows OoT and KH.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> My name is Link. I'm just a happy-go-lucky nine-year old from the Kokiri Forest. However, when a fairy is sent to me from the Great Deku Tree with a summons, I think my life is going to change. Find out now!

**A/N:** Well, this is my first ever crossover fic! As a disclaimer, I own not the Kingdom Hearts series. Sadly, I also have no ownership of Legend of Zelda...

Here is the table of fonts to be used. It'll be updated as I see fit.

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

 _Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

 **Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

 **Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

 _ **Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

 _Italic Underline_ : Dream

  
  


* * *

**Prologue I: A Fairy for Link! The Start of a Grand Journey!**

Kokiri Forest, Hyrule

_Link stared ahead at the walls of Hyrule Castle Town. The sky above was black from rain clouds, the rain falling down and turning the beautiful field into an ominous witness to the events unfolding. The bridge lowered, and out raced a horse, carrying a woman and a girl. The girl looked at Link, her eyes full of fear as the horse passed him up._

_"ZELDAAAA!" Link cries out. Following behind them was a dark man riding on a black horse. He rears the horse when he reaches Link. His left hand raises up, then he points it at Link_ _._

Before anything else could happen, Link wakes up, drenched in cold sweat. "Phew. Just another nightmare," Link said, sitting upright. He decides to get up, especially when he hears a voice calling out his name.

"Yoo-hoo! Link! Are you awake up there?" Link stepped out and sees his best friend, Saria.

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

~~Meanwhile~~

" _ **Navi... Navi, where art thou? Come hither..."**_ A wizened voice calls out. A small fairy flies up to the tree that spoke the words. _ **"Oh, Navi the fairy... Listen to my words, the words of the Deku Tree... Dost thou sense it? The climate of evil descending upon this realm... Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule... For so long, the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world... But...before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing. It seems the time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey... The youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth... Navi...go now! Find our young friend and guide him to me... I do not have much time left. Fly, Navi, fly! The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!**_ "

The fairy nods in understanding, the flies off toward the Kokiri Village.

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

~~Back at Kokiri Village~~

Link decided to forego the ladder, and jumped down to where Saria stood, landing neatly. He got up. "Hey, Saria! What's going on?" he asked her.

Saria just huffed at him. "You show-off! You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days!" she said, then smiled. Just then, Navi flew by and ran into Link's head. The fairy had been traveling so fast, she knocked the Kokiri boy the the ground.

"Ooops… sorry! **Hey!** Are you okay?" she asked, flying down to Link's level.

Link got up, grumbling. Navi could distinctly hear something about "stupid fairies" and "watch where they're flyin'", and "like they own the place". She decided that her news was much more important.

" **Hey! Listen!** The Great Deku Tree wants to see you!" she told Link. Saria gasped in surprise.

"Wow, Link! Not only do you finally get a fairy, but you even get to go see the Great Deku Tree!" she said. "You'd better hurry! I'll see you at the shop later! Don't be late!" she said, taking off toward her house.

Link looked at Navi. "Guess we'd better not keep the Great Deku Tree waiting, eh?" he said. Navi flew in front of Link as he walked, leading him to the Great Deku Tree. However, there was one obstacle… Mido.

"Hey, Mr. No Fairy! Where do you think you're going?" Mido challenged. He started to say more, but stopped when he saw Link's fairy. "What?! You've got a fairy?!" Mido asked in surprise.

Link nodded. "Yeah, now I need to go see the Great Deku Tree... he summoned me, so move out of my way, Mido!" Link replied.

"Say what? The Great Deku Tree actually summoned you? Whaaaaaaat?! Why would he summon you and not the great Mido? This isn't funny..." he said, the last comment being made because a couple of the Kokiri passing by were laughing at Mido's reaction.

He then saw that Link had no sword or shield. "I don't believe it! You aren't even fully equipped yet! How do you think you're going to help the Great Deku Tree without both a sword and shield ready?" he asked Link.

Link grew angry. Who did Mido think he was? Link decided to give Mido a piece of his own medicine. "Well, you don't have anything either." Link pointed out. "What? Did the 'Great' Mido finally slip up?"

Mido stared at him in surprise. "What? You're right. I don't have my equipment ready, but... If you want you pass through here, you should at least equip a sword and shield! Sheesh!"

Link walked away, grumbling. He quickly ran through the grass, picking up Rupees. He walked over to the store, where he knew they sold shields. There, Link saw some rocks in front of the store. He decided to help, and was rewarded by the shopkeeper 20 Rupees and a discount coupon. Link stepped inside, and used the coupon to buy a Deku Shield. He then went to the Forest Training Grounds, and crawled into the hole there…


	2. Prologue II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> My name is Sora. I'm your average, fourteen-year old boy. I live in peace on the Destiny Islands with my friends Kairi and Riku. However, we've grown bored of the island life and plan on seeing the world! However, our island gets attacked by mysterious creatures! What happened to Riku and Kairi?

**A/N: Two chapters in one day... man, I'm fire!**

Dislcaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or, sadly, the Legend of Zelda.

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

 _Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

 **Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

 **Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

 _ **Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

 _Italic Underline_ : Dream

 

* * *

**Prologue II: Dire Situation! The Heartless Attack!**

Destiny Islands, Scattered Realms

Sora awoke on the beach of the Destiny Islands. He'd had the weirdest dream. He then got up to the sound of a voice chastising him. "I knew I'd find you snoozing down here, Sora!" Sora turned around and faced Kairi.

"No! It's nothing like that, Kairi!" Sora said. "I was in this weird place with glass floors, and this giant monster attacked me!"

Kairi snorted. "You lazy bum, Sora!" she said.

"Yeah, no thanks to you two that our raft is done." Both of them turned around to see a silver-haired boy staring at them, holding a log over his shoulder.

"Hey! Shut up, Riku!" Sora said, getting defensive.

Riku laughed, tossing the log aside. "Sheesh… no need to get all defensive. You're always so uptight, Sora!" Riku replies. Being unable to help themselves, Sora and Kairi both laugh as well.

Sora then stops. "Wait! Did you say the raft is finished?" he asks.

Riku nods in response. "Yep. Again, no thanks to you two." Riku replied.

Sora and Kairi rushed off to the raft. When they arrived, Sora stared in awe. Really, the raft was pathetic looking, but Sora didn't care. It was the culmination of weeks of hard work so they could explore the world. Sora grabbed the flag that they had on the raft and stepped out into the ocean.

"C'mon guys! We're gonna go see the world! Right?" Sora glanced back. Riku and Kairi just shook their heads.

Sora rejoined his friends. Riku stared at the excitable kid. "Well, it'd be best to leave tomorrow. That gives us the rest of today to make sure that everything is prepared properly." Riku said. Kairi nodded in agreement.

The three friends spent the rest of the day preparing everything and just playing.

Sora, at one point, broke away from his friends and went to the Secret Cave. Sora walked in, thinking back on the memories that this place held for him. All the way at the back, Sora approached a wall that had two heads drawn on it. One was Kairi's, and the other was Sora's.

"Before we go…" Sora muttered, picking up a rock. He drew a hand extending from his portrait to Kairi's, and draw a Paopu Fruit in his hand. It was believed that any who shared a Paopu Fruit had intertwined destinies; they'd be a part of each other's destiny, no matter what. He then returned to his friends.

At sunset, the three departed for their homes.

* * *

Later that night, ominous-looking clouds formed over the islands.

Sora stared out his window and saw the clouds. "Looks like a storm is coming…" he muttered. He then sat upright. "Our raft! I'd better go make sure that it doesn't get destroyed!" Sora thought.

He headed out, ignoring the Shadows that formed after him. He first of all went to the bent tree where Riku normally sat. There, he saw Riku covered in darkness.

"Riku! Where's Kairi?" Sora shouted over the wind that had been blowing. Riku turned to his friend. "Don't worry, Sora, Kairi's coming. We don't need to be afraid anymore. Don't fear the darkness, Sora!" Riku said, extending his hand. Sora went to reach for it, but was pulled into the darkness.

 _It's so dark… there's nothing…_ Sora thought as he floated in the dark. Then, there was a bright flash of light, and he was back on the islands. Riku was nowhere to be found.

Sora then rushed off to the Secret Cave, and there saw Kairi by the drawing. She turned around. Sora saw a strange door behind her, which he and Riku had seen as kids.

"Sora…" Kairi said. Before Sora could do anything, a burst of energy came from the door. Kairi was propelled forward.

"KAIRI!" Sora shouted, holding his arms out to catch her. However, her body seemed to disappear just as it hit Sora. After the energy had dissipated, Sora turned from the cave.

When he went outside, he was confronted by a giant shadow monster.

"Just like in my dream!" Sora said. The creature looked at him, and he was almost engulfed in darkness again. However, a strange voice called out to him.

 _ **Do not be afraid, for you possess the strongest weapon in the world.**_ Sora felt his hand get heavy. When he looked at his hand, he saw that he was wielding a giant key.

"A key? Or is it a sword?" Sora asked himself. _**The Keyblade… the power within you.**_ The voice rang out again. It came from nowhere, but sounded like it came from everywhere.

"Keyblade, huh?" Sora asked. He then charged forward, attacking the Shadows. _**The Darkside is your main concern.**_ The voice pointed. However, Sora had to hack and slash his way through the monsters in order to get to Darkside.

"Don't mess with me! I've been sword fighting with Riku for ages!" he challenged. He then found himself in front of the Darkside. "You're huge! How do I get to you?" he asked.

 _ **Aim for the eyes. An enemy cannot train one's eyes.**_ "Eyes, eh?" Sora replied. He then flew forward. "Take that!" he shouted, smacking the Darkside in the face. Unlike the Shadows, his blade rebounded. Sora landed, and started to charge forward again.

"You want another one? Here you g-!" he shouted, then was interrupted. The ground below him started to crack, and soon the entire islands disintegrated. Sora fell into an endless black abyss, screaming all the way…

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter is when we'll see Sora and Link meet. How will they handle each other? Find out later!**


	3. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> As I'm getting my equipment to meet the Great Deku Tree, I stumble across a stranger. He doesn't look like he's from around here... and what is that mysterious key he wields? I wonder if the Great Deku Tree has any answers. Stick around and find out!

**A/N: Next chapter! Yay!  
**

Disclaimer: I own neither Kingdom Hearts or Legend of Zelda... lucky Japanese people have that right...

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

 _Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

 **Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

 **Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

 _ **Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

 _Italic Underline_ : Dream

 

* * *

 

**Chapter 1: Chance Meeting! Two Heroes Unite!**

Kokiri Forest, Hyrule

Link emerged from the other side of the hole that he had crawled into. He saw that he had emerged in the Forest Training Maze. Link looked left, then right.

There was a rumbling sound emanating from somewhere, but he couldn't pinpoint where it came from. Then, to his left, a large boulder rounded the corner, rolling on its own power. Link quickly dove out of the way, nearly getting crushed by the boulder.

Navi came out from under his hat. " **Hey!** You need to be more careful! Now, get a sword so we can go see the Great Deku Tree!" she said, disappearing back under his hat.

"Yeah, yeah… I know…" Link said. He then saw a bright light falling from the sky. Something then collided with the ground on the other side of the maze.

Link ran there, making sure to check the boulder's location, in order to ensure that he did not run in front of it. He had no wish to be crushed to death. When Link reached the other side of the maze, he saw two things: a large chest, and a kid with spiky, brown hair. He was wearing large yellow shoes, a white and black overjacket, a red jumpsuit, and a pair of white and yellow gloves. Link also saw that he was wearing a crown necklace. Link cautiously approached. The first thing he did was open the chest. Inside, he saw the Kokiri Sword in its scabbard. Link quickly put on the sword. The boy then began to moan.

* * *

Sora opened his eyes. "Where am I?" he asked. He then got up and saw a boy clad in a green tunic with white undergarments and wearing a green stocking cap on top of a mess of light brown hair staring at him. Sora happened to note that the stranger's eyes were blue like his. He had a sword strapped across his back, and a wooden shield as well. "Who are you?" Sora asked.

* * *

Link stared at him. "I could ask you the same thing." Link then extended his hand. Sora, however, backed quickly away, and summoned his Keyblade.

"Don't try to fool me!" he shouted. After what had happened to him, Sora was not taking any chances that Link was an enemy.

Link quickly drew the Kokiri Sword and his shield. Both of them dropped into attack stances, waiting for the other to move first and create an opening. Navi, fortunately, saw all of this and came out from Link's hat.

" **Hey! Listen!** " the fairy said. "You guys need to work together! Don't ask me how I know, but I think you two are supposed to help each other!" she said.

Sora stared. "A-a-are you a… fairy?" he asked. Navi turned to him. "Well, what else would I be?" she asked him. "You haven't been around long, have you?" she asked.

Navi flew closer. Sora just cringed. " **Hey!** Your ears aren't pointed! Where are you from?" Navi asked him. Link, meanwhile, had turned to leave. Sora and Navi quickly caught up.

" **Hey!** Where are you going?" she asked. Link turned to her with a look of exasperation.

"To the Great Deku Tree, like you asked me to!" Link said. Sora then caught up. He shot Link a confused look.

"You're going to visit… a… tree?" he asked.

Link nodded. "Yeah. Why?" Link was suspicious of this stranger. He had just randomly dropped from the sky and there wasn't even a scratch on him!

Sora just continued to stare. "A… tree…" he repeated. "Why a tree?"

Link stared. "You obviously aren't from around here… the Great Deku Tree is more than your ordinary tree… he's the guardian of the Kokiri, the race that live here. I'm a Kokiri. My name's Link, by the way." Link explained, also introducing himself.

Sora stared. "The outside world… is so mysterious!" he said. He then grinned. "Name's Sora, nice to meet ya!" he said. The boys then crawled through the hole and Navi led them to the path again. Mido was still standing there.

"Sheesh… he just doesn't have anything better to do, does he?" Link asked, approaching Mido.

Mido looked and saw Link and Sora approaching him. He held out his arms, blocking the path.

"Eh, what's that?! Oh, you have a Deku Shield... And what's THAT?! Is that the Kokiri Sword?! Good Grief!" Mido said. He then saw Sora.

"Hey, stranger! Who are you? Are you properly equipped?" Mido said.

Sora grinned, pulling out the Keyblade. "I'm Sora!" he said, grinning.

Mido stared. "Well, even with all that stuff, a wimp is still a wimp, huh? Shoot! How did you get to be the favorite of Saria and the Great Deku Tree? Huh?!" Mido said, grumbling as he moved out of the way.

The two boys then moved forward. Along the way, the passed a Deku Baba Plant. Sora poked it, despite Link trying to warn him not to. The Deku Baba then sprung up, snapping at Sora as it passed him by, standing straight on end. Sora lept back.

Link sighed. He stepped forth, and unsheathed the Kokiri Sword. He swung at the Deku Baba, killing it. As it disappeared in a puff of smoke, it dropped a stick. Link picked it up, and put it into his belt pouch. Sora stared as the stick disappeared into the tiny pouch.

"How did you do that?" he asked. Link smirked at him.

"Magic pouch…" he replied. Navi then decided to speak some more to the boys.

She first turned to Sora. " **Hey!** Don't you know that the Deku Baba Plant is carnivorous?! You could've been killed! Thankfully you dodged it!" she said. Having said her piece, she disappeared back under Link's hat.

Link turned to Sora. "Let's go." He said. The two then continued down the path. They then emerged into a meadow. In the middle was the biggest tree Sora had ever seen. He stared in awe. "It's… so… _huge_!" Sora said.

Link smirked at Sora's awe. "Sora, meet the Great Deku Tree!" Link said. Navi then flew from under Link's hat, flying over to the one who had sent her after Link.

"Great Deku Tree! I'm back!" She said.

" _ **Oh... Navi... Thou hast returned... Link... Sora... Welcome... Listen carefully to what I, the Deku Tree,am about to tell thee... Thy slumbers these past moons must have been restless, and full of nightmares... As the servants of evil gain strength, a vile climate pervades the land and causes nightmares to those sensitive to it... Verily, thou hast felt it... Link... Sora… The time has come to test thy courage... I have been cursed... I need you to break the curse with your wisdom and courage. Dost thou have courage enough to undertake this task?**_ " The Great Deku Tree asked the boys.

Sora nodded. "I'm up for anything!" he said.

Link also nodded. "I'd be honored to help, Great Deku Tree!" Link said, a look of fierce determination crossing his face.

" _ **Then enter, brave Link, and thou too, Sora... I was not expecting the Keybearer to appear. Since thou hast appeared, thou must help Link... Navi, thou shouldst enter as well... Navi the fairy... Thou must aid Link and Sora... and Link, Sora...When Navi speaks, listen well to her words of wisdom...**_ " The Great Deku Tree said, his mouth opening for the three companions to enter.

Sora and Link stepped forth, Navi following behind them, as they stepped inside the Great Deku Tree.


	4. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> I've decided to get with the strange kid I met, and we talked to a tree! Not only that, but we went inside it! Now, we have to find a curse and remove it, or the tree will die! How will this 'Link' and I work together? Stay tuned to find out!

**A/N: Well, another chapter of the Legend of Hyrule Hearts is up! I've decided to have this as a multi-part story.**

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

_Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

**Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

**Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

_**Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

_Italic Underline_ : Dream

 

* * *

 

**Chapter 2: Save the Great Deku Tree! Navigating the First Dungeon!**

Link and Sora stared once they were in the tree.

"This place… is humongous!" Sora said in awe, staring all around. Link also looked, but unlike Sora, he was looking to observe and see what the surroundings were. Something caught Link's eye.

"Hey, Sora! Look there!" he pointed. Sora followed Link's gaze.

"Huh? What are you looking at?" he asked. Link sighed as he facepalmed.

"In the middle of the floor… see the webbing," he managed to get out without wanting to strangle his partner. Sora still didn't get it. "The webbing…" Link pointed out again. Then, Sora saw it. He ran over to it.

"Man, this looks so cool!" he said. He then jumped onto it, ignoring Link's attempted warning when he saw Sora about to jump. The web acted like a trampoline, as Sora decided to continue jumping. Somehow, Sora ended up landing at an angle, and landed near a Deku Baba bud.

"Hey, man… careful… that's another Deku Baba." Link said, carefully approaching.

"Don't sweat it!" Sora grinned. "I've got nothin' to worry about! These plants come straight up! They can't get me that wa – whoa!" Sora started, but was cut off as the Deku Baba emerged, snapping at him. This Baba's stem was plenty flexible as it lunged at Sora, hoping to get an early kill so it could enjoy lunch in peace. _Thunk!_ Sora looked up to see the carnivorous plant recovering from the collision against Link's Deku Shield. The Baba then hissed at Link, who responded by drawing the Kokiri Sword, which made a ringing noise as it was withdrawn from the sheath. In response, two more Deku Babas popped out of the ground, surrounding Link and hissing, expecting lunch.

"Take that!" Sora said, summoning his Keyblade and attacking one of the Babas. The plant was felled easily, disappearing in a puff of smoke. Link dodged one of the other Babas, and cut it with his sword, severing the plant from its bulb. This plant also disappeared in a puff of smoke. As the third Baba tried to attack Link from behind, Sora threw his Keyblade at it.

**Strike Raid!**

The Baba stiffened, then fell defeated. Link put his weapons away and walked to where the three plants were, collecting the bounty of their victory: six Deku Nuts.

"Nice job, Sora!" he said, as Sora dispelled the Keyblade, which had come back to him. Sora stared at the Deku Nuts as Link put them away inside his magic pouch.

"Ummm… what are those?" Sora asked.

"Deku Nuts… very useful items, but I'll show you that later." Link said. He then stepped over to a part of the wall that was covered in vines. "C'mon, Sora. I'm guessing that since we can't go down, we go up." Link started to climb up the wall, with Sora following. At the next level, Link and Sora followed the walkway. There, they saw a small chest. After Link opened it, he found 20 Deku Seeds.

"More Deku Nuts?" Sora inquired, staring as Link put them away. Link shook his head.

"Nope. These are Deku Seeds." He handed one to Sora, who noted that it was smaller and harder than a Deku Nut. "Feel how hard they are. They make great projectiles… if only we had something to launch them from…" he muttered.

"Hey, Link! I found another section of wall to climb!" Sora said. Link came over. Before Sora could start up, Link stopped him. "What did you do that for?" Sora asked. Link motioned for him to be quiet. Sora then heard a scratching noise coming from above. "What's that noise?" he asked Link, who just motioned up. There, Sora saw what looked like spiders; the three creatures were clinging to the vines and rotating about slowly, as if they were keeping watch for intruders to their resting place. Sora then saw a Skull design on the backs of the creatures. "W-w-what are those… those… things?" he asked, backing away. Navi popped out of Link's hat.

" **Hey!** Don't you know? Those are Skullwalltullas! If we try climbing up, they'll attack us! They're very sensitive to movements along any vines or walls that they nest on, so we can't just sneak past. We'll need to find a way to defeat them to move on!" she said. She then looked further down the walkway, which sloped gently up before leading to a door. "Over there! Maybe something's there!" she said, then disappeared back beneath Link's hat. Link and Sora walked away, the scratching noises growing fainter. They approached the door, and Link pushed it up. When they entered, they saw a shrub in the room. On the other side was a door with metal bars running vertically in front of it, preventing it from being opened. As they entered, the door slammed shut and was locked in a similar manner.

"Now what?" Sora groaned. Almost as if he was heard, a Deku Scrub popped out. It shot a Deku Nut at Sora, then retreated back underground.

"Oww! That hurt, ya know!" Sora said, rubbing the spot on his forehead where the nut collided. Link simply picked up the Nut and pocketed it.

"Lousy Deku Scrubs… always causing trouble…" Link muttered. As the scrub popped up again, it laughed and spat a seed at Link. Reacting quickly, Link pulled out his shield and deflected the nut back at the attacker. The Nut hit the Scrub, and it ran around. Sora got angry. "No more Mr. Nice Guy!" he said, summoning his Keyblade.

**Strike Raid!**

The Keyblade whirled through the air, striking the scrub. "Owie! That hurt! I'll let you pass and I promise not to hurt anyone ever again!" it said. It then dropped a slingshot as it ran back to its nest and burrowed back in. This time, it did not pop out. Link picked up the slingshot.

"Cool! Now we can defeat the Skullwalltullas!" Link said, pocketing the slingshot. Both decided not to venture into the other room of the Deku Tree, instead going back to the now-empty chest. Link pulled out the slingshot and a Deku Seed. He fitted the seed into the pouch, and pulled it back. Link then took aim at a Skullwalltulla, and let go of the pouch. The seed flew through the air, making a slight whistling noise. The seed hit its mark with a satisfying _crunch!_ Link quickly dispatched of the others. "Well, now we can climb up." Link said. He and Sora climbed the vines, eventually moving to another path on the left. Sora almost walked toward a part of the path that jutted out to the webbing below, but looked up. Fortunately he did, because a Giant Skulltulla dropped down from the ceiling. Sora leapt back, summoning his Keyblade. He tried to attack it, but the hard outer shell of the Skulltulla protected it. It turned around, and Link slashed it with his sword. The Skulltulla fell, disappearing as it did so.

Navi decided to educate Sora on the Skulltulla. " **Hey!** Be careful when attacking a Giant Skulltulla! All Skulltulla have hard outer shells to protect them! You need to attack their abdomen!" she said. Sora nodded, filing the info away for future use.

"Looks like we have no other choice but to jump," Link said. Sora looked over to see Link staring down a part of the platform sticking out above the web. Link turned to Sora. "I'll go first." Link volunteered himself, and then prepared to jump. He took a deep breath, then lept off of the abutment, feeling gravity take over as he fell straight down.


	5. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> Sora and I have luckily managed to get past all the enemies and obstacles in our path so far, with some help provided by Navi. However, we are getting ready to face our greatest challenge yet when we find the curse placed on the Great Deku Tree! You won't wanna miss this, so don't go anywhere!

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

_Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

**Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

**Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

_**Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

_Italic Underline_ : Dream

 

* * *

 

**Chapter 3: Save the Great Deku Tree! Battle with the Queen Gohma!**

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream was Link, as he fell, faster and faster toward the first floor of the Great Deku Tree. He then felt something soft beneath him. Link looked and saw the web. It stretched down, and for the briefest moment, Link prayed like mad to the Goddesses that it would not fling him back up. Then, the web broke, and Link was screaming as he fell down farther.

_SPLOOOOSH!_

He'd landed in some water. He swam out of the way as he heard more screaming. Soon, another big splash followed as Sora fell and hit the water. He floated up to the surface, moaning in pain.

"Oww… that water hurts…" he muttered. Link nervously laughed.

"Yeah… fortunately for me, I had the web to protect me…" he said.

The boys then swam out onto a platform. There, they saw the way forward was blocked by more webbing. This time, it ran from the ceiling to the floor. The only other thing nearby was a torch that was burning brightly in the gloom. Sora stared.

"Now what do we do?" he asked. "We need to go forward." He turned and saw Link deep in thought. "Yoohoo! You there? Hyrule to Link!" he said, waving his hand in front of Link's face, jolting him out of his thoughts.

"Hang on. I know how we can get through…" he said. He then pulled out a Deku Stick, and walked over to the torch. He thrust one end into the flames, then quickly ran it over to the webbing, and burned it away. He then threw the stick in the water, extinguishing it. Sora stared at Link and grinned.

"Nice thinking!" he said, as the pair walked through the doors. Link smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, the only issue with that is the stick is virtually useless for anything after that." he replied. The next room made both of them gulp. There was a pool of water and a moving platform, that led from where they were to the other side of the room. That was no issue. They also saw what was a giant metal cylinder that was rotating round and round. Still not an issue. The real issue was the fact that the cylinder was covered in spikes. Link looked and saw a switch in the water.

"Are you a good swimmer?" he asked, turning to Sora. Sora laughed. "Are you kidding me? Back on the Destiny Islands, Riku and I would swim and race each other…" Sora said, trailing off at the memory of his lost friends. Link saw the look and put a hand on his shoulder. Sora looked over and saw Link grinning.

"Don't worry! You'll find 'em! And I'll help!" he said. "After all, you're helping me, aren't you?" Soon, Sora was grinning too.

"You're right! Why am I worrying? Soon, Kairi, Riku, and me… we'll be back together, and we'll explore the world!" he said, wiping away the start of tears from his eyes. He turned back to Link. "Thanks! You're a real pal, ya know?" he said. Link only smiled in reply.

"Yeah, but right now we got bigger fish to fry. Like saving the Great Deku Tree!" Link said. Sora nodded. He then dove into the water, and pushed the switch. This caused the water level to fall. Sora resurfaced, and climbed onto the platform. Link then jumped on when it had moved within range. Both of them had to lay flat to avoid getting turned in to paté by the machine.

"That was too close." Sora said, jumping from the platform.

"Yeah. I was afraid we were gonna be Gohma food back there." Link agreed, following Sora's lead and leaping off of the platform. The next door was big and had intricate and ornate carvings on it. Navi popped out of Link's hat.

" **Hey!** That must be where the creature resides, the one that the Great Deku Tree has been cursed with!" she said. Link and Sora looked at each other.

"You ready, Link?"

"Oh, yeah. I was born ready!"

They then opened the door and stepped inside. They looked. They saw nothing. It was pitch black inside. Navi, who had retreated under Link's hat, was causing the hat to have a faint glow. They boys took a few minutes to search the room, but the only things that were even remotely interesting were four pillars in the room. Sora then looked up… and screamed.

"LINK! LOOK ABOVE US!" Sora was shouting, and pointed up. Link followed and saw a giant, yellow eye. The creature dropped down, and the darkness cleared. The sheer size of the creature was enough to turn Link's blood to ice. The creature was easily a foot taller than Link, and had four appendages. Her eye turned briefly red before returning to normal. Navi popped out of Link's hat.

" **Hey! Listen, guys!** " she said. Link and Sora decided to listen and not complain, which was a first. Navi then introduced them to their enemy:

 

**Parasitic Armored Arachnid, Queen Gohma**

Navi continued telling them about their new enemy. "Nothing we have can penetrate her armored skin... That means that her weak point must be her eye!"

"No problem!" Sora said, summoning the Keyblade. He took aim, and threw it at the Gohma.

**Strike Raid!**

The attack bounced off the eye harmlessly, even though the teeth of the blade had hit the eye dead on. The Queen Gohma rushed at the two, bowling them over. She then crawled up the wall and then to the ceiling. She crawled across, then four things dropped down. Shortly after, they hatched.

"Sora! Those were eggs. Kill the Gohmas! Maybe we can draw her down here, then strike!" he said. The boys made quick work of the babies, and the Queen dropped down. Her eye turned red, and Sora flung his Keyblade again at the eye.

**Strike Raid!**

This time, the Queen was stunned. Link slashed multiple times with the sword. However, the Gohma recovered her composure, and started to crawl back onto the ceiling.

"Oh, no, you don't! Down, girl!" Link said. Sora looked over at him like he'd gone nuts, but then saw Link had a Deku Nut in his hand. "Close your eyes, Sora!" However, Sora's curiosity got the better of him. Link threw the Deku Nut down on the floor, and it exploded in a white flash. The flash blinded Sora and the Gohma. She dropped from the floor, stunned. "How many times have I told you to stay…" Link started, striking her with the Kokiri Sword, "…off…", another strike, "…the ceiling!?" he grunted as the finished off the monster. The Queen Gohma shrieked as she shriveled up into nothing. Sora had finally managed to recover. He turned to Link.

"Owww… that's why you told me to close my eyes…" he muttered. Link sighed.

"Well, I guess that if any good came of your stupidity, it's that you'll now be immune to the effect." He said. He then pointed to a strange portal that had appeared where the Queen Gohma's body had disappeared. "What say we get out of here. This place is kinda gloomy for me." He gestured. Sora nodded, and both stepped into the portal. When they opened their eyes, the were outside.


	6. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> Link and I managed to defeat the Queen Gohma, and got the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri Emerald. Now, we need to go to a castle to meet some princess or other. Oh, we also need to stop so bad guy from taking over the world. Our trip is a little delayed when we have to camp in the vast Hyrule Field, and we get ambushed by zombies! Hah! Kidding, it's just some skeleton-thingies. Well, stay tuned to see the action!

**A/N: Well, here's another chapter of Legend of Hyrule Hearts up! This one's a little longer, and I'm pretty happy with the length of it... hopefully, the future chapters will be around this length, but may be a bit longer. No reviews to respond to this time (sad face), but I would like you guys to tell me how I'm doing!**

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

_Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

**Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

**Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

_**Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

_Italic Underline_ : Dream

 

* * *

 

**Chapter 4: The Trip to Hyrule Castle! The Peril of Nightfall!**

After Sora and Link reappeared, the Great Deku Tree spoke to them.

" _ **Thou hast done well… Link and Sora… Though thou hast defeated the monster that ravaged me from the inside, I was doomed from the start. Now, it is my duty to tell thee of thine destinies… Listen closely…**_ " Link and Sora nodded, sitting down in the grass. They then listened to the tale the Great Deku Tree told them.

" _ **First, in order to understand thine destinies, thou must understand from whence Hyrule came. Link, this story is mostly for thine ears, but it would benefit thou to pay attention as well, Sora**_." Both boys nodded.

" _ **It started long before anything came into existence. Three Golden Goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule. The Three Golden Goddesses were Din, the Goddess of Power; Farore, the Goddess of Courage; and Nayru, the Goddess of Wisodom. Using their powers, the three Goddesses created all that can be seen. Din, using her strong arms, carved out the shapes of the land, from the valleys to the hills. Nayru, using her wisdom, created laws that would govern the land. Farore, using her strong will, created the creatures that would uphold the laws, including all the flora and fauna of the world. When their work was done, the three Goddesses departed to the heavens, meeting at a single point before the departure. At the place where they departed, a Golden Treasure of immense power was formed: the Triforce. Soon after, the first men began to fight over the Triforce, as anyone who obtained it would have their wishes granted. The Sages of the time decided to seal the Triforce in a sacred realm and placed it under a potent seal. A part of the key to the seal is the Kokiri Emerald.**_ " The Great Deku Tree paused his narrative at this point to pull out a green gem that had a golden swirl to it: the symbol of the Kokiri.

_**"It is for the Kokiri Emerald that an evil desert man dressed in black placed the curse on me. He had hoped to get his hands on the Emerald, but cursed me when I refused to give it up.**_ " The Deku Tree gave the Emerald to Link.

" _ **Here, Link. Take this Emerald. When I am finished here, thou must take the Emerald to the Princess of Destiny at Hyrule Castle. There, thou will learn more of thine quest.**_ " Link nodded, taking the Emerald and placing it in his pouch.

" _ **Now, please be sure to protect the Emerald, brave Link. It is for that Emerald that the desert man cursed me, leading to my end. Yes, even though thy efforts to slay the monster were successful, I shall soon pass from this land. Grieve not, for I was able to tell thee of these most important things.**_ " The Great Deku Tree addressed Sora next.

" _ **Sora, the only thing that I am able to tell thee is that for now, thou must follow Link and aid him whenever you can. Eventually, thou will become key in combating darkness elsewhere, but not here in Hyrule. The Goddesses have chosen Link as the defender of this land, but thou hast been chosen by the Keyblade for a reason, though that reason evades my sight. Perhaps the Princess of Destiny can help thee more, Sora.**_ " Sora nodded. He didn't have any issues helping Link if it would get him reunited with Riku and Kairi! The Great Deku Tree had one last thing to say the boys.

" _ **I only have one more thing to say to the both of you. The women of thine destinies… are not who… they would… appear… to be… keep… that info… in mind… Now, my time… has come… to a close… goodbye… Link… Sora… Navi…**_ " With those parting words, the Great Deku Tree passed, his bark becoming darker, the leaves wilting, and the "face" of the Deku Tree taking on what looked like a sad look.

Navi approached the Great Deku Tree. "Great Deku Tree… goodbye… I'll miss you…" she muttered. She then turned back to the boys. " **Hey!** We should get going!" She then disappeared back under Link's hat, somehow back to her cheery self. Link turned to Sora. "Well, I guess we go to Hyrule Castle, then!" he said, leading Sora back to the village. When they came from the path, they were stopped by a blonde-haired girl.

"Link? What happened?" she asked, concern in her voice. Link sighed.

"Fado… he's gone… he's dead…" he said, sadness in his voice. Fado's jaw dropped.

"Wh-who's gone? Who's dead?" she asked. Link could only respond with one name.

"The Great Deku Tree…" he muttered, moving past the girl who stood there in shock. Sora could only give her a saddened look before following his friend. Link decided he would go and pick up some supplies from the shop before heading out. When they got to the shop, they were confronted by Mido.

"What did you two do?! I knew I shouldn't have let you past! That's what I get for letting a loser and a weirdo go visit the Deku Tree…" he muttered.

"I didn't do it. Now, move, Mido. Sora and I have business in the shop, then we're outta here." Link replied, pushing past the Kokiri. Sora followed, stepping inside the shop after Link. Inside, Link bought 10 Deku Sticks and 20 Deku Nuts. The two then left the shop and headed for the exit to the Kokiri Forest. Along the way, they heard some of the other inhabitants talking about what had happened at the Great Deku Tree, and that Mido was blaming them for his death. From what Sora could hear, no one seemed to believe it, as they knew that Mido was jealous of Link, and Sora hadn't been here long enough to cause any problems. A few even noted that Sora seemed like a nice guy. They two then headed out, crossing the old suspension bridge that separated the Kokiri Forest from the outside world. Link stopped, and Sora almost bumped into him.

"Anything wrong, Link?" Sora asked. Link shook his head.

"Nah… just remembering something the Great Deku Tree told me…" he stated. Seeing the confused look on Sora's face, Link elaborated. "It's always been told that any Kokiri who leaves the safety and protection of the Kokiri Forest will die." Link explained. He laughed. "I guess I must be different somehow, for the Great Deku Tree to ask me to leave the forest." He guessed. They boys started to continue, but were stopped by a female voice.

"Link…" Both turned around to see Saria standing on the bridge. "Link… tell me, are you leaving?" she asked, brushing back some of her green hair. Link could only nod. Saria then handed Link an Ocarina. "Here, take this Fairy Ocarina." She said. Link stared at it, dumbounded.

"Are you sure, Saria? I thought this was your favorite Ocarina?" he asked, staring at the instrument. Saria nodded.

"It is, but I want you to have it… as a memento!" she said. She then turned to Sora. "You said your name was Sora, right?" she asked. Sora nodded. "Okay, Sora! Keep an eye out for Link, okay?" Sora smiled.

"No problems! I promise I'll keep an eye on him!" he said, surprised that Saria addressed him as she would an old friend like Link. Saria laughed.

"Okay! I want both of you to take it easy, okay? You guys meet me at out secret spot later, okay?" she asked. She turned to Link. "You remember how to get there, right?" Link nodded. Saria then turned back to Sora. "If he forgets, just remember to follow the music!" she told him. She then waved goodbye, and turned back to the village. The two then turned to leave the forest.

Out in Hyrule Field, the two were stopped again, this time by a giant owl sitting in a tree. "Hoo-hoo! Link! Sora! Up here, hoo-hoo!" it cried as the boys looked around for the source of the noise. They looked up and Sora's eyes bugged out of his head as he saw the owl.

"Man… this place is _really_ weird… now only do owls talk, but this one's _huge!_ " he said to Link. The owl laughed in response.

"Hoo-hoo! Don't be so surprised, Keybearer! I am not like any ordinary owl!" he told them. "My name is Kaepora Gaebora, and I'm here to help you-hoo!" he introduced himself, turning his head upside down. "Up ahead, if you keep to a northern heading, you will come across Hyrule Castle. Hoo! It's at this castle that you'll meet the Princess of Destiny! Hoo-hoo! Good luck to you two-hoo!" With those parting words, Kaepora Gaebora flew off to the east after righting his head. The boys stared, then turned to each other.

"What was that all about?" Sora asked. Link shrugged, and the boys continued. Sora decided to ask Link a little more about the Kokiri. In particular, he wanted to know why Mido acted the way he did. Link then told him about the Kokiri.

The first thing Link told Sora was that the Kokire were a race of children who never aged. They lived in a village in the Kokiri Forest, under the protection of the Great Deku Tree. Every Kokiri were also given a fairy guardian by the Great Deku Tree. Link took the time to explain that all Kokiri looked up to the Great Deku Tree as a father figure, which is why many of them were so crushed at his death. Indeed, the old tree was the only parent figure that the Kokiri had ever known, aside from their fairy guardians. He then digressed to say that the fairy's main purpose was to keep the Kokiri from harm: keeping them away from dangerous monsters that prowled the forest like Deku Baba's and Wolfos, keeping them from straying too far from the forest, among other things.

Next, Link told Sora of a boy who had lived with the Kokiri as a Kokiri, but did not have a fairy. That boy then received a summons from the Great Deku Tree via a fairy. Sora was able to guess that it was Link. His partner nodded when he brought up the answer.

The two boys then reached the top of a particularly steep hill that they were climbing. When they reached the top, they were able to look out at the vastness that was Hyrule Field… well, what could be seen at any rate. The field seemed to stretch forever, and both boys guessed it would take someone a few years to explore it all and that was without going and exploring the various towns and villages that must also exist. Link and Sora saw what looked like a good-sized ranch to the northwest, but what interested them was due north: a castle whose figure cut a grand figure into the horizon, towering turrets stretching toward the sky almost as if to try and pluck the stars themselves out of their heavenly roosts in the sky.

"That must be Hyrule Castle…" Sora said. Link nodded.

"Has to be… I don't see any other castles here…" he said, turning a full 360° both to get a full view of the field, both to check for any other buildings. The only figure that cut a more imposing look was that of a volcano to the east of the castle. The boys then continued their hike, chatting about many things. Link told Sora what else he knew about Hyrule, Navi filling in the blanks a little more verbosely than she needed to. In turn, Sora told Link about his childhood and growing up on the Destiny Island with his friends Tidus, Wakka, Selphie, and Riku. He told of the days they would spend playing and fighting, each trying to outdo the others. He also told of the day that another friend Kairi, arrived. They'd guessed that she was from a different world, but they didn't know for sure. They had no way of finding out as Kairi had no memory of her life before she appeared on the islands. Sora then told Link of the invasion and destruction of his home, and how he became separated from Riku and Kairi.

"Man, that sounds rough… losing your home like that…" Link said. Sora just nodded. Link smiled. "I'm sure that your friends are alive and well, looking for you right now!" Link tried to cheer Sora up. It seemed to work, as Sora perked up.

"Ya know, you're right!" he said. He then notices that it was getting darker, and pointed the fact out to Link. The Kokiri boy nodded, having noticed the approaching darkness himself. He checked their position, and saw that they were about three-quarters of the way to the castle.

"We'll have to stay here for the night…" Link said. Navi took this opportunity to reappear from underneath Link's hat.

" **Hey!** You need to be careful at night. Stalchildren have been popping out of the ground at night! They're not much of a threat alone, but they can be troublesome in groups. Be careful about defeating them, though. If you defeat too many, larger ones will eventually come out!" Having given her warning, she popped back under Link's hat. Sora turned to Link.

"Well, now what?" he asked. After discussing the issue, they decided to take turns keeping watch and sleeping. Sora took the first watch, and Link settled down on the ground and was soon asleep. As Link slept, Sora kept an eye out for anything that looked hostile. Halfway through his watch, Navi joined Sora, having sensed something.

" **Hey** , Sora! Look that way!" she said, pointing to the Keybearer's left. Sora followed her gaze and saw to person-shaped objects heading toward their position. "Those are Stalchildren!" she warned. She then launched into another verbose mini-speech. "Actually, the term 'Stalchild' –the singular form in case you didn't know– is actually a misnomer. The Stalchildren aren't children at all, they're just cursed soldiers." Navi told Sora, who had summoned his Keyblade.

**Strike Raid!**

The Keyblade whirled through the air, decimating the skull of the first Stalchild. As Sora's Keyblade came back, it struck the second Stalchild in the head, defeating it as well. Sora caught the Keyblade, dispersing it for now. The rest of Sora's watch was uneventful. When it was time for Link's watch, Sora shook him awake. Link awoke almost instantly, and got up, allowing Sora to lay down where he had slept. Somehow, Sora had managed to fall asleep immediately after laying down. While Sora's watch had been quiet, except for the two that attacked, which allowed Sora to rest; Link had to fight Stalchild after Stalchild in waves of threes and fours. As soon as one group was down, another one replaced it. After slaughtering quite a few regular-sized Stalchildren and a few that were about half-a-foot taller than Link, a really large one came out that was taller than the castle walls. As Link was about to get Sora up for backup, the sun came up. All the Stalchildren in the area, including the big one, burrowed their way back underground. Link woke Sora up and the two continued their journey in earnest. Around midday, the two finally arrived at their destination: Hyrule Castle Town. The inhabitants were abuzz about the activity of the Stalchildren the previous night, but fortunately no one connected Link and Sora with the unusual occurrence. The two made their way north to the castle, but were stopped by the castle guards.

"You two! Yeah, you children! Halt! You are not authorized to go to the castle!" One of the castle guards had spotted them. The two turned back to Castle Town, grumbling and muttering threats to the guard. Link swore to the Goddesses that he would cut the man's throat out and feed it to the Wolfos, but he knew he was dreaming. After all, he was just a kid who had very little combat experience while the guard was a trained soldier.

Back at Hyrule Castle Town, the two boys discussed their next move. After all, they had to get to the Princess. Sora brought up the idea of telling the guards what had happened and showing them the Kokiri Emerald, but Link was against it. Showing off the Emerald would either make the guard confiscate it to sell it for a neat profit in Rupees, or it would alert the man the Deku Tree had told them about: the desert man in black. Sora realized Link was right.

"I had a feeling this wasn't going to be easy. When I heard that talking tree tell us to just waltz into the castle, I knew there was going to be something to slow us down." Sora said. Link sighed.

"Guess we'll just have to sneak in…" he muttered. The two looked at each other and nodded. They were going in.


	7. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> We finally make it to Hyrule Castle, but we end up having to sneak inside in order to meet Princess Zelda. There, she tells us of more about Ganondorf, and we now have to collect the other two Spiritual Stones! Stay tuned to follow more of our grand journey!

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

 _Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

 **Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

 **Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

 _ **Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

 _Italic Underline_ : Dream

 

* * *

 

**Chapter 5: The Princess of Destiny! Ganondorf's Evil Plan!**

Having resolved that they were going to get inside Hyrule Castle one way or another, Link and Sora set out for the castle again. This time, they approached slowly.

"Hey!" a voice called out to the boys. They froze in terror, but soon realized that the voice didn't belong to a guard. They looked over and saw a young girl standing by a vine the led up the side of one of the cliffs. They decided to go over to her. "Hey! Glad you came over! Are you two boys going to the castle?" the girl asked them. Link and Sora nodded in response. The girl giggled. "Oh, goodie! While you're there, could you see how my father is doing?" she asked. "He went into the castle to deliver some milk yesterday, but he hasn't come out." The girl explained upon seeing the confused looks on the boys' faces. Sora nodded.

"Sure! We'll look for him!" he said. Navi came out from underneath Link's hat.

" **Hey! Sora!** Did you forget our mission?" she asked. Sora shook his head at the fairy.

"It shouldn't take too long, then we can continue on our mission!" he replied. Navi sighed in defeat, then disappeared back under Link's hat, muttering curses under her breath. The girl giggled.

"Was that a fairy?" she asked. Link nodded in response, which caused her to giggle again. "Oh, neat! I've always wanted a fairy!" she said. Sora was about to offer Navi, then remembered that she knew more about their journey than either himself for Link. The girl then realized that she didn't know their names, and they didn't know hers. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself! How rude of me! My name is Malon! I help my dad, Talon, run the Lon Lon Ranch! Maybe you saw it on the way here?" she said. Link then introduced himself and Sora.

"My name is Link, and my friend's name is Sora." Malon giggled.

"What funny names!" she said. She then handed Link an egg. "Here, Fairy Boy! Take this egg! I'll give it to you since you decided to help me… and since you're pretty cute, too!" she giggled. Link took the egg and put it in his trusty pouch.

"Errmm… Thanks… I guess…" Link muttered in reply. Somehow, this girl had completely thrown him off. Link and Sora then decided to see if they could sneak in by climbing the vine next to the girl. Link went first, and found that the vine would hold their weight. After Link climbed up, Sora followed suit. Even though he experienced some difficulty due to his overly-large shoes, Sora managed to make it to where Link was.

"What was that all about?" Sora asked Link. Link shook his head.

"You know, I'm not too sure…" he replied. Sora nodded.

"Well, let's see if we can make it inside the castle!" he said. Link nodded, and led the way past the guards. Somehow, they managed to make it past them all. Sora walked up to one of the castle's entrances and was about to open the door until Link stopped him. "What?" Sora asked. "Aren't we supposed to go to the castle?" he asked. Link merely shook his head.

"You are unbelievable…" he said. Sora just had a confused look on his face. Link sighed. "Did the thought ever cross your mind that there just _might_ be a guard behind the doors?" he asked. Sora stopped to think about that.

"You know, that makes sense…" he muttered. He was startled when Link suddenly jumped into the small artificial stream that was nearby. Sora looked around and saw a guard rounding the corner. Sora hastily jumped into the stream as well. Fortunately, the guard neither saw nor heard the boys and continued on his patrol. The two boys swam against the weak current. When they saw it was safe, they climbed out of the stream. There, they saw a man sleeping on the pavement. Looking around, Link also saw a hole in the castle wall that served as a source for the stream. However, they only issue to making it across was the fact that the man was sleeping near the drop into the stream, and he was positioned right in front of the hole.

"How do we get him to move?" Link asked. Sora then faintly heard a rooster's call.

"Uhh… Link… did you hear that?" he asked. Link nodded, then checked his pouch. To Sora's surprise, he pulled out a full-grown Cuckoo. Sora's eyes bugged out of his head. "That's weird!" he said. Link nodded and shook the Cuckoo, causing it to cry out again. It seemed to do the trick.

"Huh? What in tarnation?" he asked, looking around. He was hit with a sudden realization. "Oh, no! I've been sleeping on the job! I've been keeping Malon waiting! I'd better get going. I'm really gonna catch it from her now!" he said. He saw Link and Sora. "Hey, thanks for wakin' me up! Stop by Lon Lon Ranch sometime! I'll have a surprise for ya!" he said, taking off at high speed back to Hyrule Castle Town. With the way clear, Link lept across the gap to the hole in the wall, somehow managing to get a grip on the wet stone. He crawled into the hole, soaking his clothing in the process. Sora followed his partner, squeezing through the hole as he wasn't as small as Link. Once inside, both boys saw it was a courtyard. Sora was about to marvel at it, but Link silenced him.

"There are guards here! Let's see if we can sneak past them! Then we can get into the castle!" Link whispered. Sora nodded. The two boys managed to sneak past all of these guards as well, though they had a close call when Sora had to sneeze. Fortunately, the guard walked away from the brush wall they were hiding behind, muttering about how his job was driving him crazy. When they got to the innermost part of the courtyard, Sora and Link saw a blonde-haired girl wearing a royal dress. She turned around and saw Sora and Link.

"Oh, you were in my dreams!" she said. Link and Sora hesitated.

"What a weird greeting…" he muttered. The girl heard him. "I'm sorry! I was so taken by shock, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Zelda Hyrule, Princess of Hyrule." She introduced herself. "May I ask your names?"

"I am Link, from the Kokiri Forest."

"My name is Sora, from the Destiny Islands!"

"So, you _are_ them!" Zelda gasped. Link and Sora both adopted confused expressions. Zelda giggled, deciding to elaborate. "I've seen both of you in my dreams. I dreamed that dark clouds covered the land of Hyrule. Then, a light shot out from the forest. From the light, I saw a boy dressed in green followed by a fairy carrying the Spiritual Stone of the Forest. I also saw another beam of light from an unknown source. Then, next to the green-clad boy I saw a boy wielding what looked like a giant key-like blade." Link reacted by reaching into his pouch. As the princess watched, Link pulled out the Kokiri Emerald.

"Is this the Spiritual Stone of the Forest?" he asked. Zelda nodded. Sora summoned his Keyblade next.

"And was this they key you saw?" Zelda nodded affirmatively. She giggled as Link put away the Kokiri Emerald and Sora dispelled his Keyblade.

"You know, it's funny… but I think I can trust you two…" she said. She then motioned for the boys to approach the window where she stood. The two boys obeyed. She motioned for the two to look through the window, which they did. There, they saw a dark-skinned man dressed in black bowing down on one knee. They turned to Zelda. "His name is Ganondorf. He is the leader of a desert race called the Gerudo. He claims to have sworn allegiance to my father, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, better known as the King of Hyrule." Zelda explained, then decided to continue. "However, I feel evil in that man. I think that he is after something." Link and Sora stepped away from the window. "I need your help." Zelda said next. The boys' heads just about ripped off of their shoulders as they turned to her. "I feel that Ganondorf may be after the Triforce. However, there are five keys. I possess two, and you two possess one." She informed them. "The Kokiri Emerald is one of three Spiritual Stones that is needed to access the Sacred Realm. If we were to gather the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire, all we would have to do is play the Song of Time on the Ocarina of Time in front of the Door of Time, which is in the Temple of Time." Zelda said. "I possess the Ocarina of Time, as it is a family heirloom. I also know the Song of Time. The only keys we're missing are the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire." Zelda reiterated. "Could I ask you two to help me so we can stop Ganondorf's evil plan?" Zelda asked, her eyes pleading. Link and Sora both nodded. "Yay! Thank you!" she said, hugging them both. She then got serious again. "Could I please ask you to leave the same way you came? That way it won't look to suspicious…" Zelda asked with a concerned look.

"No need, Princess. I'll escort these kind gentlemen out." Another female voice said. Link and Sora turned around. There, they saw a lithe young woman. She had light blonde hair and tanned skin. Sora was almost scared when he saw that her eyes were red. She had on blueish purple clothing that was marked with yellow lines, and an orange belt around her waist. "My name is Impa. I am the caretaker of the princess. I want to thank you for believing in her visions, for only I have. She has been scoffed at and ignored by her father and everyone else here." Impa said. She then motioned Sora and Link over to her. "Before we leave, I want to teach you an important song. It's called Zelda's Lullaby. If you ever need to prove your connection to the Royal Family, just play this song. It's a song that I played for the princess as a baby." She then brought her hand to her lips and cupped it. She blew into her hand, and a series of three notes sounded. Impa repeated the three notes. Link pulled out his Ocarina, then played the same sequence. Instinctively, he played the rest of the song. Impa smiled. "Good. You've learned Zelda's Lullaby." She said. "Now, I shall lead you out of the castle." Link and Sora had no idea what happened or how she did it, but the next thing they knew, they were standing in Hyrule Field. Impa pointed them to the east, toward the looming volcano that they had seen on the trek from the Kokiri Forest. "The closest Spiritual Stone is that way. If you go east, you'll come upon Kakariko Village, a place founded by my people, the Sheikah. From there, take the back exit, and you'll wind up on the trail to Death Mountain. On Death Mountain, you'll need to find the Goron Village and ask for the Goron's Ruby." Impa then pointed out the river between Hyrule Castle and Kakariko Village. "If you follow that river upstream, you'll come across the entrance to the Zora's Domain. There, you'll need to ask for the Zora's Sapphire from the Zoras." Impa informed them. She then smiled again. "You boys are brave. You are so young, yet you are willing to selflessly sacrifice your lives for the land of Hyrule, maybe even all of the planet Hylia." She said. "Both the Princess and I will be waiting for your safe return." With those parting words, Impa was gone. Link turned to Sora.

"Well, Sora, I guess this is it…" he said. Sora nodded.

"Well, what are we waiting for? More Stalchildren?" Sora asked. Link shuddered.

"Nope! I'd rather be sent to Subrosia for a week!" Link said. Sora laughed until he realized he didn't know what Subrosia was. Link headed off, but he was heading toward Lon Lon Ranch.

"Hey! I thought we needed to go that way!" Sora said, pointing toward Death Mountain. Link shook his head.

"First, we're gonna visit Lon Lon Ranch and see how Talon is doing. He said he'd have something for us, and I'll bet my boots it'll be something useful." Link said. "Then, we're gonna visit Saria and tell her about what we're doing. I'll bet she'd be interested to know." Link said. Sora nodded.

"Sounds like a plan!" he said, as he followed his friend.


	8. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> Link and I travel back to the Lon Lon Ranch and the Kokiri Forest. In both locations, Link learns more songs for his Ocarina, which he thinks will be useful. We also get a bunch of milk. I don't quite know what it is, but Link seems happy about it. Will a rainy day delay our trip too much? Stick around, and we'll show you!

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

_Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

**Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

**Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

_**Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

_Italic Underline_ : Dream

* * *

 

 

**Chapter 6: From the Farm to the Forest! Epona's Song and Saria's Song!**

For the rest of the day, Sora and Link walked along the dirt trail that cut through the greenery of Hyrule Field. Following the trail would bring the two to the Lon Lon Ranch, the largest ranch in Hyrule. Along the way, Sora's curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he'd asked what Subrosia was, remembering the reference Link made to the place. Boy, was that a mistake. Navi spent a good half-hour explaining that Subrosia was the Underworld of Hyrule. While Navi and Sora chatted, Link happened to note that the wind was picking up. He decided to bring it up once Navi had returned to her usual roost beneath his hat.

"Hey, Sora… you notice it's been getting windier and windier?" Link asked. Both boys looked up and saw that the normally bright blue sky was gray with storm clouds. Link groaned. "I knew it… we're in for a storm… and a big one too, by the looks of it. We may have to wait it out at Lon Lon Ranch, if the worst comes to the worst." Link noted. Sora nodded.

"Fine by me." the Keyblader said. It was nearly dark when the two had finally made it to their destination. Link and Sora stepped into the doorway leading inside the walls of the ranch. Inside, they heard a voice that sounded an awful lot like Malon singing a very simple and almost calming tune. However, it was Talon who spotted them.

"Ah! You're the kind young lads that woke me up at the castle!" the big man said. "I was starting to think that you wouldn't show up!" The man put one arm around each set of shoulders, and guided them effortlessly to what looked like a storage room. Inside, Link and Sora saw a large collection of glass bottles. "This here is my holding building for our world-famous Lon Lon Milk." Talon said. He handed Link 20 bottles. Link put each bottle away in his magic pouch, casuing Talon's eyes to bulge out of his head. "Whew-weee! You got some deep pockets there, little man! Anyway, when the Milk is all gone, keep the bottles. You'll find a use for 'em, I'm sure." The man told the two. Link and Sora thanked Talon, and decided to go see Malon, who was in the horse's pen. She looked up, seeing Link and Sora.

"Oh! Hey, Fairy Boy!" she said. "Did you stop by just to see little old me?" she asked, knowing that Link and Sora had come here to see what her dad had for them. "I hope you enjoy that milk. Dad almost never gives it away like that." Malon added on. Link and Sora both nodded.

"You know, I'm sure we will." Link said. Malon realized that there was someone she wanted the two to meet.

"Hey, Fairy Boy! I wanna introduce you to my best friend!" Malon said. She then pointed to a young horse that was running about, seeming to enjoy itself. "That is Epona! She's my favorite horse!" Malon smiled. When Link tried to approach her, she would go near him. Malon almost seemed disappointed. "I guess she's not used to strangers." Malon said. She began to hum the same song, which calmed Epona down. Link had an idea. He pulled out his Ocarina. Malon saw the instrument. "Hey, that's a pretty Ocarina! Do you wanna learn my song to see if Epona will come to you, Fairy Boy?" Malon asked. Link nodded, sighing. Malon hummed three notes, then repeated the sequence. Link played the same notes, instinctively finishing the song. "There! I call it Epona's Song! And look, Fairy Boy! Epona seems to like you now!" Indeed, the young horse came up to Link. The boy petted the horse.

"We need to find a place to stay until the morning. I don't wanna walk to the Kokiri Forest when it's dark out." Link said. Malon and Talon were both more than happy to have the two boys spend the night. Link and Sora made themselves comfortable and rested for the first time in a while.

The next day, there was indeed rain. It had rolled in overnight and had started before the boys had even woke up. Link and Sora both groaned. It was going to take them a while to get to the Kokiri Forest from here. Normally, it was about a half-day walk, but now it could take all day or longer. However, the boys accepted the inevitable and got ready to make their trip in the rain. Not much was said on the trip to the forest, as both companions fought to stop from slipping and falling, but to no avail. The rain had turned Hyrule Field into a big, slippery mess. The grass was slick with the falling raindrops, and the dirt trials had been turned into mud. At the end of the day, the two managed to make it back to the Kokiri Forest. Link decided to wait until the rain quit before trying to navigate the Lost Woods.

"Why?" Sora asked. "Don't you wanna see Saria?" Link shook his head.

"It's not that. We might get lost in there. If a Kokiri gets lost, they turn into a Skull Kid. Anyone else turns into a Stalchild. I think I'd rather play it safe and go see Saria when the rain dies." Link told Sora. The two waited at Link's house, but the rain did not die that day, or that night. When the sun rose the next day, there was no rain. Link and Sora set out for the Lost Woods. The two boys followed the music, and came upon the Sacred Forest Meadow. When they stepped into the maze part of the Meadow, metal bars raised themselves up, blocking the entrance. As Link and Sora investigated, they saw why: the maze was crawling with wolf-like creatures that Navi identified as Wolfos. The two boys fought their way through the Wolfos-infested maze, and fortunately both made it to the other side with very little injury.

"What was that for?" Sora asked. "You don't think they got Saria, do you?" Sora voiced his next concern. Link shook his head.

"Her song can calm anything down in the forest." Link said. Eventually, the two came upon the Sacred Forest Meadow Clearing. There, on a tree stump, was Saria. She was playing a very upbeat tune on another ocarina. The green-haired Kokiri girl quite playing when Link and Sora approached her.

"Hey, you two! Glad you could make it!" she said. Sora and Link nodded. The next hour or so was spent with Link and Sora answering Saria's questions about the outside world. Before they left, Saria wanted to teach Link her song. She played a sequence of three notes, and repeated it. Link played the sequence back and then finished the song by instinct again. He had learned Saria's Song. "If you ever wanna talk to me, just play my song, okay?" she informed Link. He nodded, and both he and Sora then left the Lost Woods. They rested at Link's house, then set out for Death Mountain.


	9. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link: Today on Hyrule Hearts.
> 
> Sora and I make it to Kakariko Village, finally! We waste no time scaling Death Mountain to try to get the Spiritual Stone of Fire, the Goron's Ruby. The Goron Leader, Darunia, isn't too keen on letting us have the Goron's Ruby, so we strike a deal. If Sora and I clear the entrance to the Dodongo's Cavern and get rid of the invading Dodongos, we can have the Ruby! Well, stick around and watch the action!

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

_Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

**Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

**Bold Underline** : Special Attacks (this is cried out)

_**Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

_Italic Underline_ : Dream

* * *

**Chapter 7: Gaining Darunia’s Trust! Restore Dodongo’s Cavern!**

Around midday, Link and Sora made their way to Kakariko Village. The old rustic town had an otherworldly feel in the air. After asking the locals and the workers for directions, Link and Sora headed toward the back of the village. There, they were stopped by one of the Kakariko guards.

“Halt! By a royal decree issued by His Majesty King Hyrule, only those who know a particular tune are able to pass through these gates.” the guard informed them.

“Why?” Sora asked. The guard shrugged.

“Apparently, the Gorons are having some issues and requested that only a messenger of His Majesty be allowed to pass.” The guard shrugged her shoulders at the end of her statement. “Sorry, kids, but orders are orders.” she added. Link then had an idea. He pulled out his Fairy Ocarina, and played Zelda’s Lullaby. The guard jumped, startled. “Wait a minute! I know that song anywhere! That isn’t the song the King requested, but I know that is the song taught to those with a connection to the Royal Family of Hyrule! Are you the two sent by Princess Zelda?” she asked. The boys nodded. “Good. Her nursemaid, Impa, came by and told me to let you two pass. Since Impa watches over this place, her word is law around here. Hang on, and I’ll let you two pass.” she told them. The guard turned around and entered a guardhouse. Shortly afterward, the gate opened, and the two boys stepped through the gate, entering the boulder-hewn Death Mountain Trail. After a few steps forward, the two boys found themselves ambushed by a red, insectoid creature. Link noted that it had four legs and one eye. The spider jumped and hopped about the landscape haphazardly, nearly crushing both boys as they frantically dodged it and tried to get in a good attacking position. Navi decided now was a good time to pop out of Link’s hat and give them some advice.

“ **Hey!** Be careful around the Tektites! They’re very agile. As you can see, they jump about with no regard for their safety, mainly because they can survive long drops! Try to take them out from a distance if you can!” the fairy warned the boys. Sora nodded, summoning his Keyblade.

** Strike Raid! **

The Tektite, not noticing where it was jumping, was struck by the Keyblade. It withered away as it was defeated. The boys then continued to make their way up the Death Mountain Trail, and were ambushed by three more Tektites. Link opted to use his Slingshot while Sora kept throwing his Keyblade at them. Soon, the three Tektites fell to the two adventurers, who continued up the trail. Along the way, they saw a giant boulder blocking part of the path. By looking at the sides of the mountain wall, they could see that it blocked a cave. Sora then pointed out that the boulder was a different color than those they’d seen on the trail. Link nodded.

“Yeah… not only that, but this boulder is smooth, too. And look at the size of it!” Link said, feeling the boulder. The other boulders the boys had seen were barely taller than Sora, but this one dwarfed both of the boys combined. “I bet that Ganondorf has something to do with this.” Link then said. Sora nodded in agreement. At that moment, another boulder came rolling down the trail from a higher point. The boulder stopped itself before it could crash into the wall or the giant boulder. To Link and Sora’s astonishment, the boulder unrolled itself and became a humanoid figure. The round body resembled a stone, and Link noted that the hide of the back held ridged stones. The creature also had small eyes, a crop of white hair on its head, and prominent lips. The rest of the skin on the creature was light brown. Navi came out of Link’s hat long enough to tell the boys that they’d just laid their eyes on a Goron, one of the rock-eating inhabitants of Death Mountain. After disappearing back under their hat, Sora asked the Goron for directions to the Goron City. The Goron gave them directions, pointing up the mountain. Link took the time to note that the Goron had square teeth that were unaligned. Link and Sora followed the Goron’s directions, eventually coming upon the Goron City.

* * *

Inside the city, Link and Sora took notice of how _huge_ the place was. The first thing they saw was a pedestal sitting on an island in the middle of the city. The only ways to get across were three climbing ropes stretched horizontally to the island. Link and Sora managed to get across the rope, only to find that the pedestal was empty. A lone Goron on the island turned to the boys as he noticed them approach.

“Are you two here for the delicious-looking red stone?” he asked them. The boys nodded. The Goron sighed. “Big Brother Darunia has it. I think he was afraid of everyone eating it since we don’t have access to the tasty rocks from the Dodongo’s Cavern. I came over just to give it a little lick…” the Goron informed the duo, sighing sadly at the end of his explanation. Link and Sora crossed back the way they came and decided to ask around the city. The Gorons told them that they were starving because they refused to eat ordinary rocks, only accepting the delicious rocks from the Dodongo’s Cavern. They also told the boys that with the cavern being closed off, their prized crop was getting harder and harder to find. Eventually, the boys found themselves on the bottom level of the Goron City. Link asked one of the Gorons standing in front of a door where Darunia could be found. The Goron perked up at the mention of the name.

“Big Brother Darunia? He’s our leader, you know. He’s locked himself in his room here. He says he won’t come out until he speaks with the King’s Messenger. After all, Big Brother and the Hyrule King are sworn Brothers, so it makes sense that he’ll only speak to someone who came here in his Brother’s stead.” the Goron told them. Link tried to open the door anyway.

“Who’s there? If you’re not my Sworn Brother’s messenger, go away! If you are, prove it!” a rough voice shouted out to them. The Goron next to the door gave Link a look that clearly said “I told you so.” Link pulled out his Fairy Ocarina and again played Zelda’s Lullaby. The voice sounded out again. “Hey! I know that tune! You must be a messenger of the King! Come in!”

“That was easy.” Sora said as the two opened the door. Inside, they saw Darunia standing in the middle of a sparsely decorated room. He was bigger than the other Gorons Link and Sora had seen, and had a beard as well, which probably separated him as the Goron Leader. Sora quickly took the time to note that the Goron did not look very happy, but couldn’t point it out to Link.

“Who are you? Does my Sworn Brother mock me by sending a couple of brats as messengers!?” he shouted. Link stepped forward.

“Sir, we are not messengers from the King. My name is Link, and this is my companion, Sora. We were sent here by Princess Zelda and her nursemaid Impa to see if we could have the Spiritual Stone of Fire that you hold.” Link told him, figuring it would be better to be honest. Darunia just laughed at the two.

“Oh, really? And how do I know that you aren’t in league with that dark wizard, Ganondorf, eh? He already blocked off our food supply! All my brothers are starving!” the Goron Leader told them. Sora stepped forth.

“Would us removing the boulder help prove that we aren’t on his side?” he asked, crossing his arms and grinning. Darunia just shook his head.

“Even if you pipsqueaks could clear the boulder, the Dodongo’s Cavern has been infested by Dodongos! Do you two boys know what Dodongos eat?” Darunia asked, his voice taking on a creepy aspect as he leaned close to the two boys, who shook their heads negatively. He motioned them closer. They obliged, moving in to catch Darunias every word. “THEY EAT GORONS!” the Goron Leader shouted, causing the two to jump nearly out of their skins. Darunia sighed. “Anyway, this is a Goron problem, not a problem for you two young lads. I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the Goron’s Ruby.” The two boys took their leave. Outside, they were confronted by the same Goron who’d told them about Darunia.

“Great… not Big Brother’s depressed. I know that he likes listening to the music from the forest.” he said. That gave Link and idea. Motioning for Sora to follow him, the two entered into Darunia’s room again. There, they saw Darunia sitting on a stool, looking very sad. Link pulled out is Ocarina. As Darunia watched, Link played Saria’s Song. Soon, Darunia couldn’t help but get up and dance.

“Oooh, yeah! Hot, hot, hothothothothothot!” he cried out as he danced around. When he finally tired out, Link stopped playing. “Oh, yeah! That’s a hot tune! You’ve lifted my spirits, boy!” Darunia told them. “You know, you kids got spunk! Tell you what. If you can clear the boulder blocking Dodongo’s Cavern, and clear out the Dodongo infestation as well, I’ll give you two the Goron’s Ruby.” Darunia told them. The boys nodded in agreement. Darunia then pointed them to the side exit of his room. “If you go out there, you may be able to find something to help you.” he told them. The boys exited through the side exit. The only things they saw were a Goron, and a plant with a round, black fruit. The Goron turned to the two boys.

“Oh, hello. I’m just protecting this lone Bomb Flower from the sun. If you want, you can pick it up and toss it.” the Goron told them. Link picked up the flower, and tossed it over the edge. As the boys looked down, they saw that the platform was directly above the entrance to the Dodongo’s Cavern. The Bomb Flower exploded, causing a bunch of dust and rubble. Once it had cleared, the entrance to the cavern lay open for all the world to see. Link and Sora quickly passed through Darunia’s room. The Goron Leader was able to guess that they’d used the Bomb Flower and cleared the cavern. That was the easy part. Now would come the hard part: clearing the cavern of those infernal Dodongos. The two boys sped their way back through the Goron City, passing many startled Gorons along the way. The boys didn’t stop or slow as they exited the city, running as if they were men possessed or gone mad. They boys tore down the trail, and eventually wound up at the entrance to the Dodongo’s Cavern. Nodding at each other, they stepped inside the cavern.


	10. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora: Today on Hyrule Hearts
> 
> Link and I start our adventure in the cave that the Goron-thingies call the "Dodongo's Cavern". I have no clue what a Dodongo is, but from what Navi says, they're pretty fearsome! Will Link and I live to see the light of day again? Stay tuned and find out!

**A/N: The start of the second dungeon! Yay! How will Link and Sora handle the horrors of the Dodongo's Cavern? We'll find out in this chapter and next chapter!**

 

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

_Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

**Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

**Bold Underline** :Special Attacks (this is cried out)

_**Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

_Italic Underline_ : Dream

* * *

**Chapter 8: Clear the Dodongo's Cavern! Obtaining the Bombs!**

Link and Sora entered the Dodongo's Cavern. They saw a central platform, surrounded by four ledges. The northern ledge led to a giant skeleton of what the boys saw was a dinosaur-like creature. They were standing on the southern ledge. The western ledge led to a door, but it was elevated beyond their reach. On the eastern ledge was another door, but this one was locked, with metal bars running vertically across it. On the central platform, the eastern ledge, and the western ledge were four machine-like contraptions. They appeared to be made of all metal, and had rotating spheres with an eye carved on them. Navi came out when she noticed the contraptions.

" **Look out!** Those are Beamos! A Beamos is stationary, but it will shoot a laser beam out of the eye on the top sphere if it sees you! They don't like getting smoke in their eye, though…" Navi told them. After she disappeared under Link's hat, the boys looked around and saw another Bomb Flower.

"Well, let's see what we can do!" Link said. He picked up the Bomb Flower and threw it at the central platform. The explosive seed did not make it across, and exploded before the five-second fuse was up. Link and Sora looked down and saw that the gaps between the ledges were filled with lava. Sora then had an idea.

"Hey! Let's play some baseball!" he said excitedly, summoning the Keyblade. Link stared at him in confusion.

"What's baseball?" Link asked. Sora just shook his head.

"Nevermind. Just pick up another flower and toss it at me." Sora instructed, unable to believe that his friend had never heard of baseball. Link did as he was told, and Sora hit the Bomb Flower like a batter would in a baseball game. This time, the Bomb Flower sailed over and landed by the Beamos. After the fuse time was up, the explosive plant blew up. When the smoke cleared, the Beamos was gone. The two boys high-fived, then continued on. After leaping to the central platform, the two saw another Bomb Flower sprout up in the middle of the platform.

"That's convenient…" Link muttered. Sora nodded in agreement. The way forward was blocked by the skeletal head. To the east and the west were the other two Beamos. The only door they could reach was to the east. Link had an idea. Twice more the two boys repeated the exercise that destroyed the first Beamos, and they destroyed the other two. The door on the eastern ledge then became unlocked, the bars sliding up and allowing access. The two wasted no time leaping over to the door. Along the way, Sora shook his head.

"Very straightforward…" he muttered. Link could only nod in agreement. The two then made their way through the door. On the other side of the door was a tunnel. As the two walked along, they were ambushed by a pair of lizard-like creatures, which burrowed up from the ground. Navi came out again to explain what their newest attackers were.

" **Hey!** Those are Baby Dodongos! As you've seen, they pop up out of the ground without warning. They like to jump into the air to ram their foes. Be careful when defeating them! They have a tendency to explode when they are defeated." The two boys nodded as the fairy returned to her usual perch. When the Baby Dodongos got close, the two attacked, knocking the lizards back. After standing still for a few seconds, the two Baby Dodongos exploded with more force than the two boys anticipated. Link and Sora exchanged glances before resuming. While in the tunnel, they encountered three more Baby Dodongos, which were dispatched with relative ease. At the end of the tunnel, the two encountered a bat-like creature flying around erratically.

"3…2…1…" Link counted down out loud. As expected, Navi came out of Link's hat.

" **Look out!** Keese are very common in caves like this! They will swoop down and attack you if you're not careful! Also beware, as some of them may be adapted to the fire in here!" Navi warned. Sora decided to try a distance attack on the Keese.

** Strike Raid! **

The Keese's erratic flight caused Sora's attack to miss. Link tried next, pulling out his slingshot. The projectile hit its target, and the Keese dropped from its flight, its body disappearing before it hit the ground. The two then opened the door on the other side and went through. They emerged in a room that was empty except for several pillars. By looking up, the two could see that the pillars didn't reach the ceiling, which meant that they could jump across the tops of the pillars. Link noticed a large chest on top of one of the pillars. Sora took a step forward, but Link hastily pulled him back at the sound of a metallic sliding noise. _Clang!_ Sora saw that he would have been turned to mincemeat by the two square-shaped traps, which had two spikes on each side.

"Blade Traps…" Link muttered. "I've heard stories of these… didn't think I'd actually run into any." As the traps retreated, Link and Sora quickly rushed forward. The two saw a ladder leading up to a ledge with another door. Link stepped forward, and quickly lept back as two more Blade Traps rushed forward. After they started to retreat, Link and Sora climbed up the ladder. After looking around, the two could see now way to open the door. Link then inspected the door closely, seeing that it was covered in very fine, spider web-like cracks. "Hey, Navi!" Link called out. The fairy emerged from Link's hat. "Could we blow this door up?" Link asked. Navi started at him in confusion before answering.

"I don't see why not… it looks like a concussive force like an explosion would open the way…" she replied. Link nodded, and the fairy took that as her dismissal, disappearing back under the green hat she was accustomed to residing in. Link lept over to one of the pillars, and Sora followed. After leaping across a few pillars, they reached the chest Link had seen. Before he could open the chest, Link heard a hissing noise behind him. Turning around, Link saw a bipedal lizard holding a sword. Navi came out again as the lizard continued to hiss in challenge. " **Hey!** That's a Lizalfos! They're very agile, and tend to attack in pairs!" Navi warned, disappearing back under Link's hat, mainly to avoid the risk of losing a wing to the swords that were about to be swinging through the air. Link drew his sword and shield as the Lizalfos charged at him. At the last second, the Lizalfos lept over Link, swinging for Sora. The Keyblader lept off of the ledge, but misjudged the jump and landed in the maze formed by the pillars. Where he landed, he saw another Lizalfos.

"Found the second one…" he muttered, summoning the Keyblade.

The Lizalfos that had attacked Sora turned its attention to Link upon seeing its partner facing down Sora. Again the Lizalfos jumped at Link, swinging at the Kokiri boy. Link blocked the Jump Attack with his shield. Link deflected blow after blow from his more skilled opponent, not noticing that small pieces of his shield were being chipped away. Finally, Link found an opening and slashed at his foe with a horizontal blow. The Lizalfos jumped back, screeching in pain. It lept away to a different pillar, with Link following. After jumping pillars for a few seconds, the Lizalfos turned back, slashing at Link with its sword. Link jumped to the side, barely managing to dodge the strike. The Kokiri boy was placed on the defensive again as the Lizalfos rushed him with another barrage of blows. Again, Link managed to find an opening, his horizontal blow decapitating his opponent, whose body disappeared. Link then stared jumping back across the pillars, making his way to the large chest he'd seen.

The Lizalfos that Sora was facing off against rushed forward exactly as its partner had. Sora rolled forward, then struck with the Keyblade. The Lizalfos blocked the blow, but its sword got caught in the teeth of the Keyblade. Sora jerked the Keyblade, sending his opponent's sword flying away. The Keybearer then followed with a second swing, striking the bipedal lizard. Like its partner, this Lizalfos lept away, jumping off the walls of the pillars as it went. Sora finally managed to catch up to it, only to see that his foe had recovered its sword. The two clashed blades over and over again, the clanging of their blades reverberating through the chamber. Finally, Sora managed to disarm his opponent again. With his follow up strike, he put all his strength into the blow, crushing the lizard's skull. Like its partner, its body disappeared. Sora wearily made his way back to the ladder, dispelling the Keyblade along the way. After tripping the Blade Traps, Sora climbed up the ladder. When he got to the top, he saw Link was opening the large chest. As Link stood, he pulled out a brown sack.

"YES!" Link shouted. Sora stared.

"Dude… it's just a bag…" he muttered. Link facepalmed, the pulled something from out of the bag.

"This isn't any ordinary bag." Link told him, showing him what he'd pulled out. Sora saw it was a bomb. "This is a Bomb Bag!" Link announced. Sora perked up.

"Bombs? We don't have to use those plants anymore? Awesome!" Sora said. The two then turned to the door that was in their way. Sora and Link exchanged glances.

"I'm going to enjoy this…" Link said. Sora stared, then got the idea.

"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Sora asked. Link nodded in response.

"We're gonna blow that door wide open!" he said.


	11. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link: Today, on the Legend of Hyrule Hearts!
> 
> Sora and I continue to explore the Dodongo's Cavern, and meet up with the great King Dodongo! Will we survive? Or will we be turned into Dodogno Grub? Find out now!

**A/N: Finally, the second boss fight! The reason this wasn't up sooner was for a few reasons. 1) I recently got a 3DS, so I've been playing that (namely OoT 3D!). 2) Writer's block. Hopefully, the other chapters will be up quicker. I may even get up one or two more today. Just four more chapters, then we'll be in the Kingdom Hearts part of the story.**

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

_Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

**Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

**Bold Underline** :Special Attacks (this is cried out)

_**Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

_Italic Underline_ : Dream

* * *

**Chapter 9: Clear the Dodongo's Cavern! Confrontation with King Dodongo!**

Link and Sora lept over to the door. Link pulled out a Bomb and placed near the door. After it was lit, both boys jumped back across to one of the pillars. After five seconds, the Bomb blew up, destroying the door. After the rubble had cleared, Link and Sora jumped back over and walked through the door. They emerged into the hallway, and were ambushed by three more Baby Dodongos. The two quickly dispatched of the explosive lizards, and may their way forward. At the end of the hall, there was a door with bars running across it vertically. Seeing that it wasn't open, the two looked around. Link noticed two Keese hanging from the roof. Link pointed them out to Sora. Sora summoned the Keyblade.

**Strike Raid!**

The Keyblade killed one of the Keese. Before the other one could react to the presence of an enemy, it was dispatched by a well-shot Deku Seed from Link's slingshot. The bars slid up, allowing the two boys to continue into the next room. Link and Sora found themselves in a huge room. In the middle, there was a platform rising up from the ground, and it was surrounded by four statues. They looked almost human-like. There was a ledge on the left-hand side of the room, which led to a barred door. There was a switch near the ledge. Link stepped on the switch, and the bars lifted. After jumping up the ledge, the switch depressed and the bars closed the door again. When Sora decided to approach one of the statues with the intent to move it, it came to life, hopping after him. Sora quickly fled as Navi warned them about their new foe.

" **Look out!**  Those are Armos statues! They're very sensitive to being touched and vibrations near the ground. When they awaken, they'll charge at you! Careful! If they're awake for too long, they explode!" Navi cried out to Sora.

"THANKS FOR THE FOREWARNING, NAVI!" Sora shouted, running as fast as he could from the Armos. Link could tell that the comment was meant to be sarcastic. Link sighed, pulling out another Bomb, throwing it at another of the statues. This one also rumbled to life as the Armos chasing Sora blew up. Link threw another Bomb, dispatching the Armos. Link repeated the same process with yet another Armos. The two turned to the last one. When Sora approached it, the Armos did not awaken. After being touched, it was still as stone. The two boys wasted no time pushing the statue on top of the switch, which caused the bars to raise up. The two entered through the door. In the next room, there was a door to the boys' left, and a ledge surrounded by Bomb Flowers. Sora went through the door, telling Link that it was merely a shortcut to where they'd come from. By this time, both boys were worn out and getting really thirsty.

"Let's take a break." Link said, pulling out a few bottles of the Lon Lon Milk he'd been given by Talon. Sora nodded in agreement. The two boys drank three bottles of milk, and they noticed their strength returning. Placing the empty bottles back in his pouch, Link then pulled out another Bomb, and placed it in a gap between two of the Bomb Flowers. The Bomb's explosion caused the Bomb Flowers to explode as well. This caused the platform to sink a few feet into the ground, which allowed Link and Sora to climb up the makeshift staircase and to the next level. The boys followed a path that circled the chamber, and found another door. After entering it, they saw that they were back in the main chamber, however, they were up on the higher ledge they'd spotted when they first entered. Link stepped on the switch on front of him, which caused a pillar to rise from the lava and act as an elevator to the lower level. Link then saw a sign and read it aloud. "When the Giant Dead Dodongo's eyes see red, the way forward will open." Link and Sora decided to see what was on the other side of the bridge that spanned across the room. Jumping across the gaps that were above the eyes of the skeletal Dodongo, they came across a door that could be blown up. Link did so, noting that he was low on Bombs. On the other side of the door was a chest filled with Bombs. Link opened it and put the Bombs in his pouch. Link then had an idea. He went back to the gaps and pulled out two Bombs, handing one to Sora. "Drop it into one of the eyes." Link instructed. Sora nodded, and the boys dropped the Bombs into the eyes of the Dodongo. The Bombs exploded, and the eyes of the skeleton started to glow red. The mouth then dropped down. Link and Sora took the elevator down, and entered into the door in the mouth.

"Ya know, the fact that a part of this place is made up of a giant dead lizard is kinda creepy." Sora told Link, who nodded in reply. The two stepped into the door. In the next room, Link and Sora found themselves ambushed by giant bipedal lizards. While the two dodged the flames that were being spewed from the creatures' mouths, Navi came out to tell Link and Sora about the creatures.

" **Look out!**  Those are Dodongos! Their bodies are covered in thick armored hides. The only weak spots are their mouths and their tails. If you get a Bomb in them, they'll be weakened. You can also attack their tails, but watch out as they can use the tails as a club and strike you with them!" Navi then retreated back to Link's hat, especially since a Dodongo thought she'd make a good barbecued snack. Link and Sora managed to attack the tails of the Dodongos, and they saw that Navi had forgotten to warn them that the Dodongos also blew up when defeated. However, the explosions were larger than any the boys had seen so far. The two saw that there were four unlit torches in the corners of the room. There was also a fifth torch in the center that was lit. Sora guessed it was because of the Dodongos' flames. Link pulled out another Deku Stick and used it to light the four unlit torches. A chest appeared, and Link found more Bombs. The two then followed a tunnel to the next room. In the room, they saw there was a block puzzle and a door with metal bars running vertically in front of it. There were four switches in the corners, and four blocks in the middle. However, there were little ledges rising from the floor. It didn't hinder Link and Sora, but the blocks wouldn't be able to be pushed except through the unraised parts of the floor. The ledges formed a maze. Working together, the two eventually got all four switches pressed, which caused the bars to retract, allowing the door to be opened. In the next room, Link and Sora saw that there were islands formed in the lava-covered floor. The door to the next room was locked.

"Just fantastic… now what?" Link asked, and immediately regretted asking the question. The two heard familiar cries of challenge, and they were faced down by another pair of Lizalfos. Link took the one on the left, and Sora the one on the right.

The Lizalfos on the left drew its sword when it saw Link rushing at him as he drew his sword and shield. Link and the bipedal lizard clashed blades several times, the sound of the blades hitting ringing throughout the cavern. A few times, Link had to use his Deku Shield to block the blows. Each time Link used his shield, a little more of the wood was chipped off the already worn shield. As they continued to fight, Link finally saw an opening. He took it, and managed to cut the Lizalfos's chest with a diagonal slash. The Lizalfos, just like before, leaped away along the islands, stopping on a smaller one. Link followed, and the process started again. However, Link was growing tired by this point, and the Lizalfos managed to get a couple of blows past Link's defenses. Ignoring the scratches on his arms and chest, Link fought on, and managed to get an opening to decapitate the Lizalfos, whose body disappeared. Link then made his way to the door.

The second Lizalfos also drew its sword as Sora rushed in. Sora made the first move, which put the lizard on the defensive as Sora swung his Keyblade repeatedly. Rather quickly, Sora got past the Lizalfos's defenses, striking it hard on the nose. Bleeding, the Lizalfos leaped away to another smaller island. Sora gave chase, but was attacked as soon as he landed. Sora gained a few scratches of his own as he fought to get his balance and attack. After a few seconds, Sora did regain his balance, and stayed on the defensive for a bit. After about a minute, Sora moved to the offensive, and struck the Lizalfos again, this time the teeth of the Keyblade crushed the Lizalfos's skull. After the body disappeared, Sora also made his way to the door.

The two met at the door, which was now unlocked. In the next room, the only thing there was an ornately and intricately decorated door, just like the one before they fought Queen Gohma in the Great Deku Tree. Link and Sora looked at each other, and then went through the door. In the next room, however, there was only a crack on the floor. After looking around, Link decided to try and blow the crack up with a Bomb. That was a big mistake, as the entire floor gave out, dropping Link and Sora to the cavern below. The two saw that there was a pool of lava in the center of the room, leaving the outer edge as the only traversable area. They also saw a Bomb Flower in each corner of the room.

_THUD, THUD, THUD!_ The two boys turned around at the sound of the giant footsteps. There, they were faced by a Dodongo of colossal proportions. While not as large as the Giant Dead Dodongo, it easily dwarfed the size of Queen Gohma and any other enemy Link and Sora had faced. Navi came out and introduced them to their larges foe yet:

**Infernal Dinosaur, King Dodongo**

"Be careful. This huge Dodongo will eat  _anything!_  If he gets a big enough of a shock, you should be able to finish him off with your sword! His attacks include him shooting a bunch of flames out at us, and him rolling around to try and crush us!" Navi disappeared back under Link's hat. Link groaned.

"This just isn't my day…" he said. He couldn't say more because King Dodongo was taking a huge breath in. Link and Sora ran as the flames rushed at them. The two turned the corner and thought they were safe until they looked back and saw the flames round the corner too.

"WHAT THE HECK KIND OF FLAMES ARE THESE!?" Sora shouted as they ran again. The flames did stop, and the two turned around and saw King Dodongo rolling into a ball. Link and Sora managed to squeeze themselves against the wall and avoided getting squished as he passed. Link pulled out a Bomb as King Dodongo turned himself around to face the two boys.

"Hey, Sora! Up for another game of baseball?" Linka asked. Sora nodded, and Link tossed the Bomb at Sora as King Dodongo inhaled again. Sora hit the Bomb toward the ginormous lizard, who swallowed it whole. However, the Bomb blew up, causing King Dodongo to collapse from the pain. Link took the time to strike with his sword. As soon as Link hit him, King Dodongo got back up. Link and Sora then repeated the process several more times. After the eight time, Link and Sora were getting bored with the routine.

"Just how much longer do we have to do this?" Sora complained, again hitting the Bomb toward King Dodongo.

"I dunno, but I'm getting worn out." Link replied, again striking King Dodongo. This time, the large lizard rolled himself into a ball, and started to roll toward the two. However, he veered away, and rolled right into the lava. King Dodongo unrolled himself and tried to escape his prison, but it was too late. As the large lizard released one last cry, its body was eaten away by the lava. After King Dodongo was dead, the lava hardened. The two boys walked into the blue portal that appeared. When they opened their eyes, they were glad to see the outside of the Dodongo's Cavern. The cool, morning air told the boys that they had spent the entire day and all night fighting King Dodongo. As the two started to head back to Goron City, Darunia dropped down, causing the ground to shake, which knocked Link and Sora off of their feet.

"Good work!" Darunia said as Link and Sora got up. "You guys did it! You cleared the Dodongo's Cavern!" Darunia then clapped the two on their backs, sending them to the ground again. "Now, we can eat the rocks from the Dodongo's Cavern until our stomachs burst! This all must have been the work of the Gerudo Thief, Ganondorf. He said he wouldn't unblock the cavern until I gave him the Spiritual Stone! However, you two risked your lives to get the Cavern back to normal!" Darunia said. Link and Sora looked at each other. Before they could say anything, Darunia was talking again. "Hey, I know! How's about we become Sworn Brothers! Don't worry, there's no fancy ceremony! Just take this, the Goron's Ruby!" Darunia said, handing over the Spiritual Stone of Fire, the Goron's Ruby. Link accepted the Ruby and put it in his pouch. Two more Gorons dropped down.

"You did it!" they said in unison. Darunia nodded.

"Yep! Brother Link! Brother Sora! You guys cannot go without a big Goron party!" Darunia said. Link and Sora accepted, glad for the chance to rest. A few hours later, Link and Sora insisted on leaving. However, they were chased by Darunia and a couple of Gorons who wanted to give them big Goron hugs. The reason the two fled was because they'd seen the Gorons hugging each other, and heard the cracking of bones. Link figured that he and Sora would be better off without them. The two managed to make it to Kakariko Village, and stayed there for the rest of the day and all night.


	12. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora: Today, on Hyrule Hearts!
> 
> Link and I have to collect three spells in order to access the Zora's Domain! Well, how will we do this? Stick around to find out!

**A/N: Quicker than I normally update, but this story hasn't seen the best of love for the past while. I can't promise that I can keep updating often, but I'll try my hardest**

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

 _Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

 **Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

 **Bold Underline** :Special Attacks (this is cried out)

 _ **Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

 _Italic Underline_ : Dream

* * *

**Chapter 10: A New Roadblock! Collect the Three Sacred Spells!**

After the boys woke up in the morning, they departed from Kakariko Village. After they left, they followed the river upstream, just as Impa had told them. They eventually found themselves at the start of the entrance to the Zora's Domain. After blowing up some rocks that were in the way, Link and Sora were stopped by the Kaepora Gaebora.

"Hoo-hoo! Up here, boys! Hoo!" he called out. Link and Sora looked up to where he was. "I see that you two-hoo have recovered the Goron's Ruby! Good job! But, in order to-hoo see the Zora's, you'll have to collect the Three Sacred Spells of the Goddesses! Hoo-hoo! One is found at Hyrule Castle, one at the Lon-Lon Ranch, and the last one is in the beginning of the Lost Woods! Also, I'd recommend visiting the summit of Death Mountain! Hoo-hoo! A powerful fairy lives there that can teach you a sword technique, Link! All of these are required to-hoo visit the Zora's!"

"Just fantastic. Thanks for the warning, Kaepora." Link replied. He turned to Sora. "Well, we may as well turn back if we can't continue." Sora nodded, but they were stopped by the Kaepora Gaebora.

"Hoo! Hold up! If you boys wish, I can give you a lift to the top of Death Mountain, and bring you back down to the entrance of Castle Town! Hoo-hoo!" The owl told them. Link and Sora nodded.

"Yeah, that'd be great! Thanks!" Sora replied. Link just smiled. With this trip, their journey time would be cut and they'd be able to make it to Zora's Domain by tomorrow at the latest. The owl positioned himself so the two boys could grab onto his leg. He then flapped his powerful wings, lifting off into the air. Link and Sora felt their stomachs fly up to their throats, and both decided to look down. The view was stunning. They could see a good portion of Hyrule Field, stretching to where it led into all sorts of different places. They could see Hyrule Castle, which looked small from where they were. Link and Sora really had no way to describe it. Soon, they were let off at the top of Death Mountain.

"Hoo! We've arrived at Death Mountain! Hoo!" Link and Sora looked around. The only thing in sight was a wall that had a weak spot in it, visible due to the cracks. Link pulled out a Bomb, and set it by the wall. He quickly sprinted away as the Bomb blew up, revealing the entrance to a cave. Link went in. Sora almost followed, but was stopped by Kaepora Gaebora.

"This skill is for Link alone! Hoo! The Great Fairy will not come out to see anyone but Link! Hoo!" Sora nodded at the owl's words. It made sense to him… kinda.

* * *

Inside, Link approached the fountain. He saw a Triforce mark on the floor. On nothing more than a hunch, Link pulled out his Fairy Ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby. There was a sound of giggling, and then one of Hyrule's Great Fairies showed herself to Link. She was humanoid in shape, and wore ivy-like clothing and leather boots. Her flaming red hair was tied into three ponytails.

"I am one of the Great Fairy of Power. Who has entered my Great Fairy Fountain?" she asked. Link stepped forth.

"I did. My name is Link, from the Kokiri Forest." Link introduced himself. He was going to say more, but was stopped by the Great Fairy.

"Say no more. I know of you and your journey. You seek entrance to the Zora's Domain, correct?" she asked. Link nodded. "Good. I like your honesty. However, in order to access the Zora's Domain, there will be a point where you need to hit a circle of Crystal Switches at the same time. Your normal Spin Attack is inadequate, I'm afraid. However, the technique that I can teach you will do the trick." Link nodded. "Good. Now, pull your sword out." She said. Link did as he was told. "Good. Now, all beings possess magic. Focus yours to your blade, then execute the Spin Attack." Again, Link did as he was told.

**Hero Skill: Great Spin!**

The fairy clapped as Link performed the attack successfully.

"Good. You've learned the Hero's Skill called Great Spin. Use it to enter the Zora's Domain. Good luck, great hero. If you or the Keybearer are weary and ever visiting, stop by and I can heal both of you." With those words, the Great Fairy disappeared. Link turned and left the Great Fairy Fountain.

* * *

After Link emerged from the cave, Kaepora Gaebora gave them a ride back down the mountain, dropping them off in front of Hyrule Castle Town's entrance.

"Hoo! Link, Sora! This is where I say good-bye to you-hoo!" Kaepora Gaebora spread his wings again, and flew to the west. Link and Sora entered Hyrule Castle Town. They made their way to Hyrule Castle. They saw the guards were still keeping watch.

"Great… we gotta sneak past the guards again…" Sora complained. Link did not say a word, but started to climb the vines on the cliff wall again. Sora followed suit. They made it to the other side of the first gate. Straight ahead was a rock. Link decided to blow the rock up. After he did, the two boys noticed another hole in the wall. Link entered while Sora kept watch outside.

* * *

As Link stepped in, he saw another Great Fairy Fountain, exactly like the one at Death Mountain. Link stepped up and played Zelda's Lullaby on his Fairy Ocarina. This Great Fairy also appeared to the sound of giggles. She turned and saw Link.

"Who seeks Din's Secret from me, the Great Fairy of Din's Magic?" she asked. Link stepped forth.

"I do. I am Link from the Kokiri Forest." he replied. The fairy nodded.

"I thought that you would come. Okay, then, I shall pass on Din's Secret. It is Din's Sacred Spell: Din's Fire." The fairy told him. "There are two ways to use Din's Fire. First, let's create a protective wall. Just focus your magic to your hands, and feel the fire build up. Next, focus on the fire forming a dome around you. You can even push the dome out to dispel the spell." Link did as he was told.

**Din's Firewall!**

The Great Fairy clapped as the dome of fire dispersed.

"Good! You're quite skilled with magic, young hero! Next, focus the magic to your hands, except this time bunch it into a ball that can be shot out." Again, Link did as he was told.

**Din's Fire!**

The Great Fairy smiled.

"Very skilled, indeed. The first variation is called Din's Firewall. It can be used to protect yourself, or to light a circle of torches. The second is just called Din's Fire. You can use it to attack targets from a distance. Use these spells wisely, young hero!" the Great Fairy said as she disappeared. Link then left the Great Fairy Fountain.

* * *

Back outside, Link and Sora made their way back to Hyrule Castle Town. They let themselves be caught, and were escorted to the Town. Link and Sora nodded, then left. The next stop the two made was Lon-Lon Ranch. Link and Sora both talked about what they'd experienced so far as they walked along Hyrule Field. They sun's position told Link that it was late morning, almost afternoon. The two boys each had two more bottles of Lon-Lon Milk to keep them going. Link made a special note that they were halfway through the milk. At around noon, they made it to Lon-Lon Ranch. The two boys proceeded to the field, where they saw Malon washing Epona. After waving hello, the two made their way to the back shed, where they saw another rock. Link pulled out his Bombs, and blew it up. Sora waited as Link crawled into the hole.

* * *

Once again, Link stepped forward and played Zelda's Lullaby on his Fairy Ocarina. The Great Fairy appeared to him again.

"Who calls me seeking Nayru's Secret?" she asked. Link stepped forward.

"I do. I am Link, from the Kokiri Forest." he replied. The Great Fairy nodded.

"My sister told me you would be coming. Welcome, young hero! I am the Great Fairy of Nayru's Magic. The spell I am going to teach you is called Nayru's Love. It will create a protective shield around you that can stop any attack. Beware, as the longer you use it, the quicker your magic will drain. Now, focus your magic to all over your body, and then imagine a shield surrounding you." Link did as he was told.

**Nayru's Love!**

The shield was shaped like a diamond, and was slightly transparent. It was colored blue. The Great Fairy giggled.

"My sister was right. You are very skilled with magic, young hero! Use the spell wisely!" With those words, the Great Fairy disappeared. Link then left the Great Fairy Fountain.

* * *

Back outside, the two boys left, and made their way to the Lost Woods. After being greeted by the Kokiri and answering questions about the outside world, the two headed to the Lost Woods. After climbing up the cliff that held the entrance, the two went in. This time, they walked to their left. The clearing they emerged in was occupied by only a single boulder sitting in the middle of the clearing. For the fourth time, Link pulled out a Bomb and blew the rock up. He again entered, this time jumping down a hole.

* * *

As Link landed, he was slowed by what was obviously magic. Link stepped forth and played Zelda's Lullaby on his Fairy Ocarina. The Great Fairy appeared with giggles.

"Who seeks Farore's Secret from me, the Great Fairy of Farore's Magic?" she asked. Link stepped forward, feeling that it was part of some sort of ritual.

"I do. I am Link, from the Kokiri Forest." Link replied. The Great Fiary nodded.

"I was told by my sisters that one seeks entrance to the Zora's Domain. You'll need the spell I teach to do so. I shall pass on Farore's Wind to you. There are two variants, though both serve the same purpose. Farore's Wind is a warping spell. The first variant that I'll have you do is the short-range version. Focus on a spot here, then focus your magic. Make yourself light and invisible as the wind, then you'll disappear and reappear in the spot you focused on." Link did as he was told, and felt himself being squeezed through a tube.

**Farore's Wind!**

Link reappeared where he'd expected. The Great Fairy clapped.

"Bravo! Few have ever mastered Farore's Wind on their first try!" she said. "Next, focus the spell outward. This will make a Warp Point, which can be warped to freely." Link made a Warp Point, then walked across the room. He focused the Warp Point.

**Farore's Wind!**

Link opened his eyes and saw he'd arrived. The Great Fairy nodded.

"Good. You've learned Farore's Wind. There is no limit to the Warp Points you can set up, but remember which one you want to go to. Also, if someone or something is touching you, that object will also be warped with you. Remember to use this spell wisely!" the Great Fairy said, disappearing. Link left the Great Fairy Fountain.

* * *

After re-emerging from the hole, Link led Sora out of the Lost Woods, and the two made their way back to the Zora's Domain. When they two arrived, it was late afternoon. Link and Sora made their way to the first obstacle. There, they saw a tall fence blocking their way. There was no way to climb it or go around it. Link grabbed Sora's shoulder.

"Hold on, pal!" Link said. He focused on himself and Sora appearing on the other side of the fence.

**Farore's Wind!**

Sora then felt like he was being squeezed through a tube and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw that he and Link were on the other side of the fence.

"What was that? That was cool!" Sora said. Link smiled.

"It's called Farore's Wind. I learned it from the Great Fairy in the Lost Woods." Link replied. He and Sora continued forward. This time, they came to a circle of torches that were unlit. There was a gate in front of them, but it was locked tight. Link stepped in the middle of the torches. "Watch out, Sora!" Link warned before focusing on his magic.

**Din's Firewall!**

The dome of fire surrounded Link, and then lit all of the torches as the Kokiri boy dispelled it. The gate opened, and the two made their way forward. The next section had several Crystal Switches in a circle. A door in a stone wall blocked the way forward. Link stepped into the circle, then focused his magic to the Kokiri Sword.

**Hero Skill: Great Spin!**

As the magic left the sword, it hit the switches. This opened the door for Link and Sora to continue. Finally, there was another gate that was locked. There was a switch for it, but it was blocked by a wall of flame. After trying a Deku Seed (which burned up) and Sora tried using Strike Raid (the fire caused the Keyblade to go off course), Link focused his magic while walking toward the fire. Sora stared at Link like he'd gone insane.

"Are you  _nuts!?_  That fire will kill you!" Sora said, but Link didn't answer. Instead, he used the last spell he'd been given.

**Nayru's Love!**

As the shield surrounded Link, he stepped into the flames. On the other side, he dispelled the spell, then hit the switch. Link then made his way back to the other side in the same manner that he'd gone over. With the way open, the two made their way up the steep slope, stopping in front of a waterfall. Link saw a Triforce symbol on the ground. He pulled out his Fairy Ocarina and played Zelda's Lullaby. This caused the water flow to slow down, and the two could see a cave behind the water. Link and Sora jumped across the gap into the waterfall, taking their first steps into the Zora's Domain.


	13. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link: Today, on Hyrule Hearts!
> 
> Sora and I start our exploration of the Zora's Domain. However, it soon turns into a princess hunt as the Zora Princess Ruto is missing! Will we find her? Stick around and find out!

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

 _Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

 **Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

 **Bold Underline** :Special Attacks (this is cried out)

 _ **Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

 _Italic Underline_ : Dream

* * *

**Chapter 11: The Zoras' Emergency! Locate Ruto the Princess!**

Link and Sora stepped inside the cavern that comprised of the Zora's Domain. There was a lot of water to the left of the stone pathway. The two boys followed along the path. They were approached by one of the Zoras living there. The Zora was white-ish blue, and looked humanoid. However, he had fins coming from his arms, and he had a tail coming from the back of his head.

"Ah! You are the ones that entered! Normally, visitors are welcomed, but we're having a bit of an emergency." the Zora said. Link and Sora stared at him curiously.

"Maybe we can help. What's the issue?" Sora asked. The Zora shook his head.

"I'm afraid that's Zora business. Please, feel free to look around if you wish!" the Zora said. Link and Sora nodded, and continued on along the stone path. At the end of the stone path, there was a doorway. After entering it, Link and Sora saw a rather large Zora sitting in front of a tunnel. Another Zora was standing by the door.

"Hello, travelers. You stand before His Majesty, King Zora." the attendant said. Link and Sora nodded. The two continued to explore, going to the left. However, they had to walk through some water and both had wet feet. There, they saw yet another Zora standing in front of a waterfall.

"Either one of you boys wanna play the Zora Diving Game?" he asked. Sora shook his head, but Link decided to give it a go. The Zora pulled out five blue Rupees. "All you gotta do is pay 10 Rupees. I'll throw these Rupees into the water below, and you gotta collect them all in a minute." Link pulled out the ten Rupees, and handed them to the game attendant, who threw them down into the water below. Link followed after, gracefully diving into the water. He managed to collect two Rupees before having to surface. After catching his breath, he dove back down and got the other three. Link then had to swim his way over to a ladder, which took him back to the stone path at the entrance of the Zoras' Domain. After walking back along the path, he wound up at the game attendant's spot.

"Well? How did I do?" Link asked. The Zora smiled.

"You won!" he said. "So, you get to keep the Rupees. You also get this prize." the Zora then handed Link a small, silver scale. "That's a Zora scale. It lets you stay underwater for a longer period of time." Link accepted the scale. The two then made their way back to the large lake. They two discovered a small cavern along one of the walls below the path. When they entered, Link saw a note under a rock. He picked it up, and read it.

"Help! I am trapped in the belly of Jabu-Jabu!

Please don't tell my father!

-Princess Ruto Zora"

Link showed Sora the note.

"I think we need to talk to the King." Sora said. Link nodded in agreement. The two made their way to the Throne Room of King Zora again. Link turned to the attendant of the Zora Monarch.

"Excuse me. We have something of importance to show the King." Link said. He showed the note to the attendant, who disappeared into a secret door. He re-appeared next to the King. After the two talked back and forth for a minute, King Zora turned to Link and Sora.

"I'm requesting you two to go venture into Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly, and find my daughter." he said. The attendant ushered them through the door. Link and Sora obeyed, coming to a fork in the tunnel. The attendant appeared from the path leading to the King Zora.

"Here. You'll need this fish. Feed it to Lord Jabu-Jabu, then enter when he goes to consume it." the attendant handed them a fish. Sora accepted the fish, and the two followed the other fork. They emerged on a wooden platform outside. There, they saw a large creature that looked like a whale.

"Would you look at that." Sora said. They heard someone walking behind them, and the attendant emerged from the cave.

"That is Lord Jabu-Jabu. He's the patron deity of the Zoras. Normally, Princess Ruto is in charge of fixing his meals. I must warn you, though. Lord Jabu-Jabu has been sick lately. If you can, could you see what's causing him to be in pain?" the attendant asked. The two nodded, and the attendant thanked them before turning back. Link and Sora stepped forward. Sora tossed the fish on the ground in front of them. Jabu-Jabu didn't react for a moment, and then he opened his mouth. The whale started to inhale, and Link and Sora were pulled in by the suction created. The two boys screamed as they were pulled into the creature's mouth. However, their cries were drowned out as the deity closed his mouth, sealing the two inside.


	14. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora: Today, on Hyrule Hearts!
> 
> Link and I start searching the belly of some whale dude named Jabu-Jabu. We find Ruto inside, but later Ruto and I are seperated from Link! Can I protect Ruto by myself! Stick around!

**A/N: Well, the next chapter is here! As usual (since I forgot on the previous chapters), I do not own the awesomeness within! The only thing that's mine is the specific changes to the game.**

**Table of Fonts:**

Standard Text: Regular Dialogue/Storytelling

_Italics_ : Emphasis, Sound Effects, thoughts

**Bold** : Navi's annoyingness, Boss Name

**Bold Underline** :Special Attacks (this is cried out)

_**Bold Italic**_ : Deity speech

CAPS: Yelling

Underline: Flashback/History, name of location

_Italic Underline_ : Dream

* * *

**Chapter 12: Eaten by Lord Jabu-Jabu! Ruto's Precious Item!**

Link and Sora stared in front of them. They were actually inside of the whale-like deity that was Lord Jabu-Jabu. There were a few bubbles floating in front of them, but Navi told the two boys that they were harmless. However, the two were attacked by three jellyfish-like creatures. Navi quickly warned Link and Sora about their newest adversary.

" **Hey! Look out!**  Those are Biri! They're covered in electricity, so I wouldn't attack them with your swords! Find a way to defeat them from a distance!" Navi said. Link nodded as she disappeared back under his hat. He pulled out his trusty slingshot, and used it to dispatch of the creatures. Sora, meanwhile, summoned the Keyblade and threw it at one of the Biri.

**Strike Raid!**

With the enemies dispatched, Link and Sora made their way to the other side of the room. There, they saw the way forward was blocked by what looked to be a layer of cartilage.

"There has to be a way forward." Link muttered. After looking around, he saw a switch that looked like a uvula above them. He pulled out the slingshot... and saw he was out of ammo. "Well, for the love of Nayru!" Link cursed. Sora asked what had happened, and Link told him that he was out of ammo for the slingshot. Sora nodded and took aim with the Keyblade.

**Strike Raid!**

The Keyblade whirled through the air, hitting the switch. This caused the cartilage "door" to open. The two made their way forward and saw Princess Ruto. Well, it had to be her, unless there were other Zoras hanging out inside Jabu-Jabu's belly. Link and Sora stepped forward. Ruto turned to them.

"Princess Ruto!" Link cried out to the Zora, hoping that it was the Zora Princess so they could be done with this place.

"Who are you?" the Zora asked. Link decided to do the introductions.

"My name is Link, and this is my friend and companion, Sora. We're here to get you out of here." Link told her. Ruto scoffed.

"Did my father put you up to this task?" she asked. Sora nodded. "Hmph! Let him worry! I've been going inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly since I was younger." Ruto then shook her head. "Something weird is up with Lord Jabu-Jabu, though. There are parasites everywhere. To top it off, I lost the precious item my mother gave me." Ruto saw Link was about ready to speak up. "Before you say it, the answer is no! I don't need your stinkin' help! I can get it on my own!" Ruto said. She walked off, and promptly fell down a hole in the floor. Link and Sora shrugged, and then followed the Zora Princess. When they landed, Sora looked around.

"So, this is what a whale looks like on the inside, eh?" he asked. Ruto then turned around and saw the two heroes.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't NEED HELP!" Ruto said, practically shouting at the two. Link and Sora exchanged glances, then shook their heads. Apparently, Ruto decided to change her mind. "Okay, I'll give you guys the distinct honor of helping me out!" she said. Link sighed. Was she serious!? Well, whatever. Link and Sora decided they'd split up and go exploring. Just as the two started to leave, Ruto got angry. "What, you guys are just gonna  _leave_  me here?" she asked. Link sighed.

"I guess we won't split up, Sora." Link said. Sora nodded. The three then went through the door on the west side of the room. Inside, there were several larger jellyfish-like creatures. Navi, as usual, came out to warn Link and Sora of their newest aquatic foes.

" **Look out!**  Those are Bari! When they're defeated, they release one to four Biri! They also can charge themselves with electricity, so watch out!" Navi warned before disappearing back under Link's hat. The Kokiri could only watch as Sora dispatched of the Bari and Biri that were attacking. Soon, all the jellyfish-like creatures were destroyed. A chest appeared in the middle of the room. Link, Sora, and Ruto approached the chest. Link opened it, and was rewarded with the Boomerang. Ruto gasped.

"That is the Boomerang! It's a sacred weapon of the Zora! It can stun enemies that it hits." Ruto said. Link nodded.

"Alright, then! Let's go!" Link said. He immediately threw the boomerang at a switch, which opened another door forward. In the room, Link saw another treasure chest. Upon opening it, he saw ammunition for his slingshot, which he picked up and put away. The group then had to backtrack to the room where Ruto had fallen. This time, they went through the east door.

"DUCK!" Sora shouted, hitting the deck. The three did, and saw that it was just another Biri. This one had been waiting by the door to ambush anyone who happened to come in. Link quickly got rid of the Biri with his boomerang. The three then looked around the room they were in. There was a drop in the floor, but it rose again on the other side. Link looked down in the water and saw a switch, guarded by three stingray- like enemies.

" **HEY!**  Those are Stingers! They generally travel in packs! They also scour below the surface of their domain! This let's them keep themselves from harm and also allows them to sense vibrations nearby! When they sense a disruption, they'll launch themselves up and float around! If you get hit, they'll give you a good shock!" Navi warned. Link nodded.

"Well, seems like we'll have to defeat them to safely hit the switch... and we can't hit them under the water..." Link said. He then jumped down into the puddle. Immediately, the three Stingers launched themselves up. Sora took out one with his Keyblade by throwing it. Link hit the other two with his boomerang, which stunned them. A blow with the Kokiri Sword finished off the foes. Link stepped on the switch, which raised the water level and allowed the group to swim past the gap. In the next room, the three saw a Sapphire sitting on a ledge in the middle of the round room. Ruto turned to Sora.

"You! Carry me up there! That's my precious item!" Ruto said. Sora complied, though reluctantly and grumbling all the while. Sora grabbed the princess, and jumped onto the platform. Suddenly, the platform shot up into the ceiling.

"SORA! RUTO!" Link shouted out. All he heard was a muffled response. Link then watched as the elevator came back down. Link sighed in relief. "Oh, good, I thought I'd lost you gu-WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!" Link said, shouting when he saw the large octopus-like enemy that was on the elevator. Navi came out to tell him.

" **Look out!**  That's a Big Octo! It's a giant Octorok that Lord Jabu-Jabu must have eaten! Normally, Octoroks can shoot rocks at a good distance, but this one is too large to do that! His weak spot is his back, so aim there!" Navi said. The fairy then disappeared back under Link's hat. Link nodded. The Big Octo jumped down from the platform and started to chase Link, who fled for his life. After running around for a few minutes, Link finally managed to catch up to the creature. He threw his Boomerang, remembering Ruto said that it was used to stun enemies. It worked, as the creature was stunned. Link quickly pulled out his sword and struck it. The Big Octo turned around and started to chase Link again. This time, spikes emerged from the elevator, meaning that Link had to be careful about where he stepped. Eventually, Link caught up to the Big Octo, striking it with the Boomerang. Again, Link attacked, and again he ran as the Big Octo chased him. When Link was almost behind the creature, it turned around and started to chase him again. Eventually, Link managed to get around the creature for the third time, hitting it again with his Boomerang. This time, the sword strike did the creature in, as it disappeared. Link then stepped onto the elevator and rode it up to the top level of Lord Jabu-Jabu.


End file.
